Rei Kawakubo & Comme des Garcons

-Japanese fashion designer
-founder of Comme des Garcons
-studied fine arts, was never trained as a fashion designer
-started with womens but added mens soon after
-shows in Paris
-Comme des garcons specialises in anti-fashion, austere and deconstructed garments
-challenged established beauty
guest designed fro H&M

" I am not conscious of any intellectual approach as such. My approach is simple. It is nothing other than what I am thinking at the time I make each piece of clothing, whether I think it is strong and beautiful. The result is something that other people decide"

http://www.comme-des-garcons.com/

Yohji Yamamoto

-born in Tokyo
-Debuted in Paris 1981
-both men and women
-known for avant garde spirit in his clothing
-designs often have nothing to do with current trends
-textures, drapery, over sized black silhouettes
-fabric is always the foundation of his design
-always questions fashion - wants timeless elegance

"I hate fashion"

http://www.yohjiyamamoto.co.jp

Raf Simons

-Belgian designer
-Worked for Margiela & Gaultier
-started with menswear
-influenced by youth culture
-combines strongly cut classic menswear with baggy street wear.
-Shows in Paris
-runway shows with a difference.. models running down street
-collaborated with Fred Perry
-was creative director for Jil Sander (the working woman)
-reluctant to appear on stage at end of shows

"I dont want to show clothes, i want to show my attitude, my past, my present, my future. I use memories and future visions and try to place them in todays world."

Possibly the top menswear designer working today.


http://www.rafsimons.com/

Sub Cultures

I am finding all of these sub cultures very similar and i think that the whole idea of subcultures has changed a lot especially in this decade. People are so much more individual these days and they experiment with style more. There isn't so much typical 'groups' of people dressing the same with the same music and lifestyle interests. People can style have 'looks' but they are more mixtures of different looks put together. I think it is still more of an american thing to have the different sub cultures and even there the cliques are becoming more and more disperse, well the ones i know in the places I have visited. I am going to keep researching into this idea of sub culture as i dont really like the ons listed and dont feel i want to continue to research them.

Ravers

A party goer
I see neon sticks/ glow sticks
Dots on the faces
Thumping music
Anyone can be a raver nowadays
I think it differed in the past

CHAV

Council House and Violence
Need i say more?

Sloanes

-stereotype in the UK of young, upper class or upper-middle-class women or men who share distinctive and common lifestyle traits.
-possibly came from people who hang around Sloane Sq?