Activism
Activist is a word used to describe activism denoted active political commitment or engagement among and by intellectuals. Historically it is closely associated with expressionism (q.v.), and as far as the drama concerned, it required realistic solutions to social problems. It is particularly associated with Kurt Hiller, who organised the Neuer Club for expressionist poets, and with the magazine Aktion, founded in 1911 by Franz Pfempfert. Now, activism is predominantly a political term.
Fashion Activism Vivienne Westwood and Kathrine Hamnett
At the beginning of the millennium, green or eco-fashion struggled to be taken seriously and sometimes missed out the meaning or concept. Nevertheless, this changed in 2007 when the right fashion activist and designer Vivienne Westwood launched The Active Resistance Manifesto against the “drug of Consumerism” with a view of motivating people to act upon climate change. Vivienne energised on “shop less” and instead create unique clothing from materials existing such as towels and curtains, a wear-in wear-out attitude and controversial statement of a fashion designer. Contemporary fashion designers were inspired by Active Resistance such as mavericks minds of Hussein Chalayan and Alexander Queen refuse and reuse. In the 1990s a few streetwear designers followed up 1980s iconic environmentalist designer, campaigner, idealist, and social maverick Kathrine Hamnett with her vastly influential slogan t-shirt campaigns. See Katharina Hamnett, refashioned and Paradigm-shift (fashion)
Recommended Refashioned series
- Refashioned, cutting edge clothing from upcycled materials. Part One
- Refashioned, cutting edge of design in the sustainable era. Part Two
- Refashioned, fashion activism from the 1999s and up to the Fashion Revolution. Part Three
- Refashioned a part of the fashion revolution. Part Four
