SOCRATES HEMLOCK SHIRT
Concept and Execution
The theme of the collection was “Voices of Vice and Virtue. The basic concept was to select important historical figures of the past that had made contributions to the development of western society and mankind at large, whose lives were symbolic of the constant tension between human vices and the call to virtue experiences by us all.
Enter Socrates, a philosopher known for wisdom, restraint and a commitment to principles that ultimately cost hi his life………Talk about Causes worth dying for!
The First iteration of the Shirt was made of 100% Linen in a pure white, symbolic of the purity of Socrates’ ideas. The shirt was then screened over at the chest with an illustration of a human heart. The lower portion of the shirt was dyed and then painted in a gradient black, transitioning into the white upper portion of the shirt.
WHAT DID THESE SYMBOLS MEAN?
The white linen was symbolic of the purity of Socrates ideas and his commitment to them. The Heart was printed onto the shirt to illustrate firstly his genuine belief in his core values and secondly because upon drinking the hemlock, it was the slow travel of this poison to his heart that ultimately killed him. The manner of execution in ancient Greece
The lower black portion of the shirt was a symbol of Death and the gradient of the black transitioning up to the heart print on the shirt indicated what happened to the philosopher after he drank the poison. Death slowly crept up on him. He moved from a life of principles and personal conviction to a process of slow death and ultimately decay into blackness.
THE PRODUCT
The shirt was originally intended to be a purely conceptual piece not mean for retail. But after the show, it ended up being an item that was in high demand by both buyers from stores like AL SELECT in Tokyo Japan and POLLYANNA in Barnsley England.
In the original production run, only 13 pieces were ever made and sold and since then it has never been reproduced………up until now.
The newer iteration of the shirt, executes the exact same concept in the exact same color way, albeit much differently.
The FW15 versing of the shirt is longer in the body. The Original “Funnel Holes” on the collar has been removed. The shirt is now made of double ply cotton instead of linen. It is still a beautiful item, faithful to its original concept, but made more modern and relevant while still faithful to an historical event and an idea of virtue that is as relevant to today as it was over 2500 years ago……….
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