What this piece of clothing means to me..

Here I have chosen the classic leather jacket. This is a staple piece that has been apart of many people's wardrobes for years and years. The versatility of the leather jacket has only become as of recently, as leather jackets were a piece of clothing to show your status and reflection of your self identity, as the classic leather jacket were usually worn by the particular sub group the 'punk rockers'. Although they were known as 'bomber jackets' during WW2, the leather motorcycle jackets reached it's iconic status after Marlon Brando wore it in the movie 'The Wild One'. The leather jacket began to make it's ultimate symbol of being 'cool' that's when it got to the 80's where it became the punk rock look with Blondie and Billy Idol decorating them often with studs and safety pins. I picked this item as it holds a special place in my heart. In this case, I have the timeless black leather jacket and because of it being black, allows me to get a lot of wear out of this item. Leather jackets could smarten as well as allow an outfit to be more of a casual attire too which i think is very interesting. Like jeans, leather jackets can become a personalised piece. This could be because of the style being long, short or tailored or it could be the pattern, the colour and like a lot of people, personalising it with badges of your style and interest is something people have done for centuries with leather jackets to reflect their identity through their clothing. Mine simply is to rock up an outfit; could go with any outfit and that is why it is a dearly loved piece in my wardrobe. Leather Jackets range in price due to quality, brand and material. 'Real leather' leather jackets can be highly priced due to the material and manufacturing, however the longevity of one is priceless and something you can easily invest your cash into for one of these. Leather jackets are a piece that has come back into fashion many times and is something that is classic and never goes out of date, something that goes with everything, can be tailored and unique to people who own them and this is why it is such a great piece for me and many others.

Japonism - Early Japan Obsession

​French artist Gustave Dore began a collaboration to show the account of deprivation, Ruskin an art critic was very into new artists and there Pre-Raphalite work. Very sentimental paintings were common in the victorian era. This is where the Bohemian and romantic Italian Painter Dante Rosseti. With Pre-Raphalite paintings in the early westernised art society, common women figures like Elizabeth Siddal to paint and draw. These sort of paintings were where new money was draw too as they were classic and were new of age. The Pull of Camelot and Sokoku was the isolationist foreign policy of the Japanese.Manga artist Hokusai was very famous Japanese artist influenced the western art culture after Japan had become more accepting to experiance the European art industry and this is where Japonism were now the latest craze. This later then influenced artists like van gogh and Edgar Degas. Whistler who was an American artist that came to Europe to discover art and was spellbound Japonese. 

The Fin De Siecle 

The Arts and crafts movement were new and started in amongst the 1870's. In that time Art schools were very new and often studied the human form. Women were excluded from the art schools as well as art were usually associated and reflected the wealthy families. Japan caused a monumental shift to the art culture. This allowed a lot of pattern and designers to be bringing a lot of new designs and perspectives to the art movement. Christopher Dresser an ornament creator and designer of the time period who was heavily influenced by the western European art like Islamic varses. This later allowed the start of the artworkers guild in 1884. William Morris were the inspiration for the arts and crafts movement in 1881. CFA Voyessey set the tone of suburban architecture. Ashbee a member of the art workers guild he was named the 'guild of handicraft'. People were deserving the countryside to get work in facilities, a major inspiration to art nouveau (the new art). People like Ruskin hated new art, as it were very out there and abstract. AH Mackmurdo was a major influence from the arts and crafts movement. Art Nouveau was inspired by the laws and principles of nature. France were very well known for fancy craftsmanship. As well as nature, New art were very much constructed and were formed around geometry. Peter Behrens the man who invented corperate identity. symbolism depicted an 'inner world'