Dazed Digital: SIMONE ROCHA VS LOUISE BOURGEOIS

[galia]

EXCLUSIVE: SIMONE ROCHA VS LOUISE BOURGEOIS
The Irish designer in conversation with Bourgeois's long-term assistant Jerry Gorovoy

Dunno if this is worth a thread, but I thought it was quite sweet and somewhat interesting

[MJRH]

The most profound thing she ever said was, “clothes are about what you want to hide.” She always saw it as what you want to hide.

compare with yohji's I make clothing like armor. My clothing protects you from unwelcome eyes. i've never gotten that idea myself, but must confess it's beautiful when others dress this way.



(this piece reminds me of some business meetings i've been at)

[Rosenrot]

compare with yohji's I make clothing like armor. My clothing protects you from unwelcome eyes. i've never gotten that idea myself, but must confess it's beautiful when others dress this way.

Might help if you're of the female gender (aside from other reasons others may have, of course)

[MJRH]

my sentiments on clothing-as-defense are framed by yohji, who was my first exposure to the concept. so, silly ol' me, i never stopped to think that gender might have a role to play in that quote. you're quite right to call me on that, of course.

maybe it's cause i'm a guy, but i've always preferred an indifferent grin to a thick skin.

[Fuuma]

Could it be gender was3is relevant to understanding both Yamamoto and Bourgeois *gasp*, the plot thickens!

[Faust]

Might help if you're of the female gender (aside from other reasons others may have, of course)

Why are you so SEXIST? Do we have a scientific-sounding word in English for women that hate men? Man hater doesn't cut it.

[galia]

misandrist ? in French there's the word "misandre" and "misandrie" to describe male-hating

[MJRH]

Why are you so SEXIST? Do we have a scientific-sounding word in English for women that hate men? Man hater doesn't cut it.

unless i misunderstood rosenrot's post, how is she a manhater for what she said to me? the relationship between body image and gender, and by extension clothing and gender, is pretty cut-and-dried, my initial comment really deserved rosenrot's rebuke and fuuma's snark. it's sexist to say men don't have a valid opinion just cause they're men, but it's not sexist to say they should be aware of deep-rooted cultural differences b/w men & women.

or, were you joking here, and i'm just a big dummy? i can seldom tell around here

[Faust]

I just wanted her to feel what it's like when somebody jumps down your throat every time you say something that's not politically correct thus preventing a healthy discussion that does not center on "everybody is equal!". And you had to intervene, you dummy!

[MJRH]

faust, if only you chauvinist bastards would stop bandying phallocentric hatespeech like jump down your throat then maybe the world would be a more comfortab

... but in all honesty i thought her response was fair enough, i said i didn't very much understand the whole protecting yourself with clothing business, and she gave me a framework with which to understand it. if i'd been with-it on that day i'd have asked for an explanation that provided deeper insight into the notion, since specifically my objection to it is that it's better to dress the way someone you admire does (a sort of positive way of dressing), than to dress defensively against a person or group of people that you fear or want to avoid (which seems restrictive). it's the difference between letting somebody else dictate the terms of your life, and taking the lead and setting your own terms, no? so i don't see the value in the armor side of things, but if a fella as smart as yohji endorses it then i'm sure i'm just missing something. rosenrot, i'm curious what you think, if you're willing to elaborate.

edit: i wonder how yohji feels about like a nude beach. didn't helmut newton do that famous editorial emphasizing strength in nakedness...

[Faust]

PJ Harvey told me the same thing about Ann's clothes.

I was just having fun, but now you went and spoiled it! But I totally get the clothing-as-armor thing - it's definitely one of the elements that look for in clothes, being male and all. I think I want to be protected from all those construction women that cat call on the streets of SoHo.