The main focus of my exhibition is
medals and how certain details of them have influenced the fashion industry
from there stripes, colours, pattern clash, colour clash and the actual medals
themselves.
I also wanted to focus on this idea of them carrying a memory and how in
fashion today things become so disposable where as these medals will always
live on even if the colour of the stripes go out of fashion. They carry a piece
of history but how many fashion garments and accessories can really say they do
that.
These people that are awarded the medal have achieved something good out of a
bad situation. Do they really care what colour it is or if they coordinated, to
them it’s something more. Whereas in fashion sometimes they look at it
literally as inspiration for colour, pattern and trends there is no history or
achievement involved. When the war is commemorated within fashion it isn’t
really the medals its more literally what they wore during the war i.e.
redcoats.
Here is a small collection of medals
they I feel all tell a different story as individual medals as well as a
collection. I have spoken about them as if they could be inspiration to the
fashion world and how medals can be taken out of context.
These medals were awarded to
Lieutenant Georgia Johnstone, who served in the Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army
Nursing Corps during the Korean War. The simple stripes of colour have a slight
nautical theme to them but some how the vivid colures stand out more than the
worn medals them. These simple designs don’t over power there true meaning.
These medals were awarded to Colonel
Andrew Man 1939-54 for his actions in the Korean War. I find the fact they are
all regimented together interesting there is a sense of colour / pattern
classing with the medal ribbons and the different shaped medals. Some how they
shouldn’t fit but they do the sense of layering creates texture and the colours
work together. Is this the first sign of colour clashing?
Victoria Cross and medal group of
Gunner Isaac Lodge 1900-11 was nominated for these medals for his bravery on 31
March 1900 on duty at Bloemfontein. These are all similar in colour tones
therefore they all work well together the simple striping and medals themselves.
They really fit into the idea of vintage dressing with there slightly distress
looked which is a current trend. These could be seen as assersories or used as
inspiration for garments.
Orders and medals of field marshal
Garnet Joseph Wolseley 1833-1913 1at viscount Wolseley. Even though this
collection of medals seems very similar they are all distinctive in character from
colour stipe widths and the medal themselves. They fit together as a
collection. Again this idea of colour / pattern class comes into play. This
collection could have been a great source of inspiration to many current
designers.
Here are some references to “outside
exhibits” that relate or have been inspired by medals.
Bijoux create vintage inspired costume
jewellery and have worked with Vivienne Westwood, Catherine Walker, Lulu
Guinness and the V&A Museum. They reinvent old pieces like military wear
and give it a new edge and bring it into today’s current trends of military. Their
pieces bring something extra to a simple fashion garment even if this is a
military coat. They make the medals seem glamorous.
Paul Smith is known for his
multi-coloured stripes, their different widths and the idea a colour clash.
This could be a reference back to the stripes in medals with the medals
clashing against each other yet somehow they work and create an interesting
pattern.
My complete mini exhibition on medals and
there influence on fashion trends today. 
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