Anti-System

BA Creative Direction for Fashion

Year 2- Term 2 Simulated Professional Practice
Shanshan Huang
HUA16498517
Content

Introduction
Research
Concept
Location
Development and ideas
Visualisation
Digital method
Budget
Reflective statement
Introduction

In this paper, I will discuss my ideas pertaining to an exhibition at the Beijing Institute
of Fashion Technology after being inspired by the criticisms of institutions by Fecal
Matter and Symonds Pearmain. The concept that I have developed as a result of my
research concerns the need to highlight the importance for individuality and creativity
of Chinese fashion designers that has long been suppressed by the cultural and
institutional setting in China. Using the idea of the human anatomy and the busy
modern-day life, I propose a design for the controversial exhibition layout and content
that I hope will be impactful in its message to aspiring designers.
Research

Full research available at https://padlet.com/475847371/rt8yq5dsooxa

From my research of the Fecal Matter and Symonds Pearmain, it was clear to me that
these brands criticise society and institution through their use of the conceptual form to
their garment, styles and products. For example, Fecal Matter’s Presentation S/S
2018, which was displayed as performance art, was a catwalk that critiqued racism
based on their choice of background music (a combination of the Presidential election
presentation and other sound tracks) and KKK style masks. The show appeared like a
hybrid of performance art and conceptual art. Also, during the interview with Symonds
Pearmain’s publisher, they criticise the modern fashion industry. Using their
standpoint, I researched how their ideas connected to my own culture and
endeavoured to draw a link between Chinese culture, fashion and institution. For
example, in the Qing dynasty, hair is a tool of social control. In the 1960s, during the
Cultural Revolution, the government forced people to wear uniforms that represented
the military. It was not until the 1980s when there was finally reform and an open
policy, that people started wearing what they wanted to wear. However, in my opinion,
people are losing their own style, and instead, emulating others. At the same time, I
have conducted research into the educational policies of China and their influence on
Chinese students’ independence and creative thinking.
Concept
My aim is to bring the concept underlying Fecal Matter and Symonds Pearmain to
Chinese fashion. During my research, I have found interesting differences between the
Western and Chinese culture. In the West, many artists and designers will use their
conceptual ideas or artworks to criticise the institution and society (Fecal Matter’s
presentation S/S 18). However, in China, the Institution controls media, art and design.
Further, due to the institution of education, Chinese teachers usually impart knowledge
to their students using model answers from books, causing students to lose their
ability for creative thinking. For example, the Art College Entrance Exam is a strict and
important examination in China. The way it admits students is by conducting a still-life
drawing test sat by thousands of students and graded based on the accuracy of their
still-life drawing. As such, Chinese institutions and culture have led to the loss of
individualism as well as homogeneity. Therefore, I am motivated to exhibit my designs
that critique the institutionalised system and behaviour at one of the most famous
fashion design school in China, the Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology. My
purpose is let them know that ”fashion is not limited, even though you are living in
developing country with strict institutions. And stop coping, be individual”. ”fashion is
not limited, even though you are living in developing country with strict institutions. And
stop coping, be individual”.
Location

Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology (BIFT Park)

The Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology is one of the most famous fashion design
college in China. There are three reasons why I selected this college. First, the
National Costume Museum is located on the second floor of the main building of this
college which enables comparison between foreign and Chinese traditional fashion
designs at the same time and place. Second, during my year’s study at this college, I
became aware of rumours that students of this college used others’ designs in their
final project. Thus, my purpose involves sending out the message in the importance of
individual creativity and respecting other designers’ works. In addition, I want to
encourage people to use the rich Chinese cultural elements to create new fashion.
Third, the University of the Arts London have collaborated with this college before so it
might be easier to convince them to publish my designs at an exhibition there.
Development and ideas
At the beginning, I considered making a film on the influences and role of institutions in
fashion by using blood vessels and the idea of the daily rush hour in tube and
machines which symbolise the system of fashion industry and institution today.
Additionally, I wanted to design my own exhibition layout, so I used images and videos
about blood vessels, tubes and machines to inspire the creation of my own layout of
the exhibition.
Cover or curtain
Layout of tables or screen.
Overall layout and model of exhibition’s layout
My idea stemmed from point line decorative painting. I wanted to make 3D point line
decorative painting and make it into an installation artwork. where the blood vessels,
machines and tube ideas would be combined together. Furthermore, since blood is of
the lifeline of human life, and humans create tubes and machines, I decided to use
blood vessels as overall layout and the tube and machines as decoration.
Visualisations
 For visualisation, I combined my developed
model (which you can see on the development
page) with interior, exhibition and shop design,
and projection. I intend to use a huge cubic
space without two surfaces to represent the
Chinese education system, where Chinese
students sometimes do not think about outside
of the box. Then, I will place two garments
designed by students from BIFT inside of the
box, and one of them is nearly step out of the cubic space. This is to represent how
Chinese designers are becoming more creative. On the other hand, I want to model
this cube into a typical office, to convey the primary objective of Chinese fashion
designers is to transform fashion into money. The printer and still-life drawing will
symbolise the system of the Chinese Art College Entrance Exam (copy).
In the centre, I will place three boards that states my
concept and purpose of the exhibition. I am also willing to
put my development process on the other boards, so that
students from this college can understand the purpose of
the exhibition.
On this wall, I will place my collage of blood vessels, machines and tube which can be
pressed by visitors, inspired from when I was in the CSM library, I saw a pad which
contained coloured liquor.
In this area, I will place images of relating to the Cultural Revolution on the wall. I feel
perhaps projecting them will be better, so I will make two screens and hang it at the
ceiling.
For this area, I will make a space for
Symonds Pearmain’s garments and the
image of the Iron Lady. The image can be
placed on glass or just hanged under the
frame. However, I will put a red curtain on
another bigger frame which will made by
iron shelf.
This area will show Fecal Matter’s work. I will
either use the Victorian Pepper Ghost Trick to
present the video of Fecal Matter or make a
dummy head with Fecal Matter’s artist make-
up. Due to the problem regarding lighting, I
will choose the dummy head. And I will put an
earphone in front of the display, so that visitor
can hear Fecal Matter’s soundtracks (Fecal
Matter Presentation s/s18)
Digital method (Weibo)

Weibo is the biggest and more popular social networking platform in China, and is
similar to Facebook in the West. I will make two official Weibo accounts for Fecal
Matter and Symonds Pearmain in order to reach and engage a larger audience, but
also so that I can collaborate with other underground artists from China who can also
help me with attracting audiences.
Budget
Product’s name Use for Price Source Quantity

Projectior Projecting images Can be borrow from the 1

college

Projector screen Projecting images Can be borrow from the 2

college

Table Decorating the “office space” Can be borrow from the 1

college

Printer Decorating the “office space” Can be borrow from the 1

college

Still-life drawing Decorating the “office space” Can be borrow from the 1 or 2
college

Fish tape Hanging images RMB 58 / £ 6.66 Taobao 1 or 2

Iron box Place Fecal Matter’s dummy Can be borrow from the 1
head college

Iron shelf Hanging images and curtain RMB 69 / £ 7.92 Ikea 2 or 3

Acrylic Box Place Fecal Matter’s dummy RMB 20 / £ 2.30 Taobao 1

head

Red Curtian Decorating the garment of RMB 26 to 171 / £2.99 to Taobao 1

19.63
Dummy head Place Fecal Matter’s dummy RMB 75 / £ 8.61 Taobao 1
head
White board Use for ‘office space’ Unknown Probably can be borrow or 3 or more
buy from the college
Dummy For garments Can be borrow from the 6 or more
college
Product’s name Use for Price Source Quantity

Plastic bag Use for Pad wall RMB 19 to 100 £ 2.18 to Taobao 1 pack
11.48
Earphone Place Fecal Matter’s dummy Unknown Probably can be borrow or 1
head buy from the college
MP3 Place Fecal Matter’s dummy Unknown Probably can be borrow or 1
head buy from the college

Exchange rate is changing everyday, so these prices are unstable

Taobao is an online shopping website in China (like Amazon)
Opportunity

If I have a chance, I would like to work with Asian Dope Boys (an art group in Beijing)
and some underground designers and artist in China. Also, I was thinking to invite
Fecal Matter’s actress into China for the performance, but it will hard to accept by the
public, so I have to cancel the idea. In addition, I will collaborate with students from the
Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology for the comparison of western designs.
Reflective Statement
The principle for a student from Fashion Communication (Creative Direction for
Fashion) is to focus on how to create a platform to transfer brand information to wider
audience or markets through different mediums. With one-year study of my major
‘Creative Direction for Fashion’, I am interested about how to use fashion
communication to create engagement in audiences through different mediums. Based
on my knowledge, I would like to gather all my subject knowledge from year one to
create something like magazines, film, photo-shooting or exhibition scheme and
combine with Ben’s collections. In this way, I can tell audience about these collections’
significance or story to make more people get to know these brands through different
medium.

During the study in this term, I become quite interested in exhibition making. So I want
to bring Ben’s collection into China and make an exhibition to promote Fecal Matter
and Symonds Pearmain. According to my research on the Fecal Matter and Symonds
Pearmain, these brands have criticised society and institution (either fashion or social)
by using some conceptual form in their garment, styles and products. For example,
Fecal Matter’s Presentation S/S 2018 is a catwalk which is shown as performance art.
Also, it has criticised racism by using background music (which was president election
presentation mixed with other sound truck) and KKK style mask on their show, which
seems like a hybrid of performance art and conceptual art. My purpose is to bring
these brands into China to criticise fashion and institution in China. During my
research of Chinese culture, Chinese education system does not teach critical
thinking. Also I have found an interesting cycle of western culture and eastern culture,
but I mainly focus on Chinese culture. In western countries, people criticise the society
and institution by using the different forms of design and art. However, in China, the
institution and society control fashion and arts out of some reasons. So that I want to
put three exhibitions (my original idea) in China which are about the topic of
‘institutional critique’. China is a historical country in Asia. In Ming Dynasty and Qing
Dynasty, Hair politics is a tool for social control, even children need to have same
hairstyle. However, from the 60s to the Cultural Revolution, the government force
people to wear green uniforms like the military. These historical events or
phenomenon are all resulted by the institution. After the revolution (80s), Chinese
fashion has changed a lot. People take off the green uniforms and start wearing like
foreign celebrities. But nowadays, Chinese fashion is losing their own style, which is
lack of individual characteristics and creation. People imitate other people’s style and
lose their owns. Young generations adore Korean Idols or some other foreign stars
very excessively. As a result, our fashion and culture today is gradually losing
individual characteristics. Moreover, due to the education institution, Chinese teachers
usually teach their students the model answers, which causes students to lose their
ability of creative thinking. For example, the Art College Entrance Exam is a strict and
important examing system in China. The way they admit students is to give a drawing
test for thousands of students to sit in a same room and sketch still-life. The level of
their marks are based on whether what they draw is exactly like the real one. Because
of these institutions and system, Chinese people lose their own style and imitate
others. They tend to follow others.

Every country have their own institutions, but sometimes these institutions restrain
fashion and society. As a result, people sometimes reject to face new things and follow
the big group. There is a documentary movie about Chinese in France. At the
beginning of this film, Chinese people are described as rude, old-minded or
uneducated. But in the end, they admit that China is developing in the fields of fashion
and economic. ‘new things’ like LGBTQ, fashion and more things become accessible.
So I have changed my concept as well. (I focused on Chinese luxury products
excessively. Also I did a survey about luxury and fashion in China). And my purpose
now is to make an exhibition to change (also critic) China.

My original ideas is to put on three (institutional critique) exhibitions in three places in

Beijing which are bar, an art college and shopping mall. They are symbols of society,
institution and education. I choose bar (Dada Bar), because some Chinese
underground artists and independent design usually visit there. They get the same
situation with Fecal Matter in China (which is not accepted by the public). These artist
and designers can help me promote Fecal Matter by using Weibo. Parkview Green is
a shopping mall which is located at the centre of China. The top floor of this mall is a
gallery and the overall of this building is quite technological, so I want to show a video
about institution (which contains blood vessels, daily life in tube and machine working)
at the gallery. Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology is one of the most famous
fashion design college in China. There are three reasons that account for my choice.
First, the National Costume Museum is located at the second floor of the main building
of this college, due to which I can compare foreign fashion designs and Chinese
traditional fashion designs at the same time in the same place. Second, when I study
in this college for one year, I have heard a rumour about students from this college
that students have copied other’s design as their final major project. So my purpose is
to tell them to stop coping and try to be more creative. China is a country with strong
history background, so students ought to use their own cultural elements to create
their own fashion. Third, University of the Arts London has carried out collaboration
with this college before. So it might be easier for us to convince them to publish an
exhibition there. And after my development, I decide to put them together in this
college because it is the best place for me to present my concept and ideas.

At the beginning, I have thought about making a film (original idea) about institution by
using blood vessels, daily rush hour in tube and machines. Because these objects I
choose are symbols of the system of human’s daily life, just like people in China who
keep observing their institutions. But I think it will be more interesting if I can make my
own exhibition’s layout. So I have found some images and videos about blood vessels,
tube and machines, and I get elements form these screenshots and images. Then I
have created my own layout of exhibition. My idea (developed idea) coms from point
line decorative painting, and my purpose is to make a 3D point line decorative painting
and make it into an installation. I want to put these elements (blood vessels, machines
and tube) together, but I have found an interesting fact that blood is an important part
of human and that human create tube and machines. So I decide to use blood vessels
as overall layout, with tube and machines as decoration. Otherwise, I will make two
official Weibo (Chinese twitter) account for Fecal Matter and Symonds Pearmain.
Firstly, we can engage more audience. Secondly, we can collaborate with other
underground artists from China, so that they can help me attract audience.

In summary, I am surprised about myself in this term. Firstly, when I talked with friends
about the project, she says that it will be very interesting if I can put some critical
exhibitions in China, because China doesn’t have critical things. It will be a brave
move. Secondly, I think that my ability of research have improved a lot during this
term. Finally is about the potential collaborator. I would like to have collaboration with
some underground art groups (Asian Dope Boys). Although they are underground
artist, they have make an influence (just like Fecal Matter).
Bibliography

Full research (including Fecal Matter, Symonds Pearmian and Chinese culture)
available at https://padlet.com/475847371/rt8yq5dsooxa