FABRIC RESEARCH- BOOTLEG

The whole point of this project is to create a shirt which you want to wear and will wear out regularly. As soon as the brief was given I knew what fabric I wanted to use, Bootleg Gucci fabric obviously! It's evident from previous posts on my blog how much I love designers monogram patterns. Dapper Dan is a huge influence to me, he was ahead of his time and understood the power of the logo. He applied street smarts and a bodacious mentality to couture by screen printing the monograms of Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Fendi and MCM on to premium leathers and married them with luxurious and unusual materials from ostrich to mink, and python to kevlar. Dapper Dan created garments aimed at young African Americans, as luxury brands did not cater to their demographic and would often stigmatised them if they were to venture down Fifth Avenue and into their stateside flagships. For me the choice to use Gucci fabric was incredibly organic, it was one of those decisions you just know straight away is the right one and I think this instantaneous decision demonstrates my understanding of the brief given. I have made items with bootleg fabric previously for a project my boyfriend and I started. We stock bought fake Louis Vuitton hijabs and cut these up to use on other pieces of clothing, we then sold this clothing for a profit. I think this is itself shows both my interest and love for the subject. I also own some monogram pieces of my own- real and bootleg, and I wear these all the time- so why not add a Gucci shirt to the collection!?