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SUBLIME: Going Forward, Looking Back
In his essay, Dialogue between Fashion and Death, Giacomo Leppardi has Fashion making the case to Death that as sisters: “I’m saying that it is our nature and our custom to keep renovating the world.” Fashion then draws a number of parallels between the two of them. He makes his case, pointing out that: “I… →
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SUBLIME: A Philosophy of Clothes
If you google philosophy and fashion, over 20 million possible connections come up. A cursory run through some of the pages reveals that the main theme – encompassed in numerous websites, blogs, adverts and publications – contains advice, ideas and suggestions for how we as individuals might develop and evolve a personal approach or philosophy… →
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SUBLIME: McQueen’s Legacy
One of my most treasured possessions is a small black evening clutch bag which my partner brought me some years ago. It looks vintage, with a classic shape that could be from the 1930s, yet has been designed to contain a mobile phone. Its clasp is a gold coloured skull, set with crystal to define… →
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SUBLIME: Tailored Choices
Fashion draws people together, women in particular. The London College of fashion is using the cohesive nature of fashion skilling to provide opportunities for women prisoners in education and future employment. For those of us who see clothes as adornment, rather than an external display of internal thinking, fashion is often dismissed as trivial. However… →
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SUBLIME: Luxury
“Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy, But not expressed in fancy; rich, not gaudy, For the apparel oft proclaims the man.” Hamlet The relevance of this Shakespearian quote is clearly demonstrated at a time of year when we are all turning our minds to presents and the inevitable increase in consumption. It challenges… →
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SUBLIME: The Skin You're In
A recent trip to New York was revealing not because of the shopping or food although they were as varied and wonderful as ever, but I was struck by the number of tattoos proudly worn by people from across the social strata. These tattoos were extensive and showed a permanent commitment to ritual and adornment… →
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SUBLIME: Green Credentials
Renowned sociologist Anthony Giddens, in the introduction to his book “Modernity and Self- Identity “, highlights the risks facing our contemporary social and economic structures. He states that: Modernity reduces the overall riskiness of certain areas and modes of life, yet at the same time introduces new risk parameters largely or completely unknown to previous… →
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SUBLIME: A Cut Above
With the concentration on our carbon footprint, we forget that an essential part of our human DNA is the cultural footprint we construct throughout our lives, which plays a key role in our economic, social and cultural interactions. Whether it is the books we read, the music we listen to, the films we watch, or… →
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Wardrobe Dilemmas
Traditionally, spring is the time for out with the old and on with the new: a time for blossoming ideas, often about how we might take responsibility for innovating and starting again. To do this we must begin with the personal, we cannot bring about new directions if we believe the responsibility for it lies… →
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SUBLIME: In Through the Out Door
At this time of year my thoughts always turn to our graduates. They face the challenges and triumphs of turning the skills they have honed, combined, with the skills and abilities they brought to the college, into a career. Like their fellows from across the country, they have worked hard and learnt much, but face… →