yaraskye

I was inspired by how heroin chic changed the perception of beauty in fashion, photography, music and art and took a closer look at the most important influences in the early 1990s.
My collection is called ,Caught in Excess’ as the protagonists of heroin chic were caught in their own world of an excessive lifestyle.
Drug and alcohol abuse caused a kind of captivity that, despite of its dangers was very appealing to a lot of people.
The glorification of drug abuse made its way to the mainstream until it finally claimed a famous victim. Only then the general view of the trend and the associated concept of perception of beauty changed. Yet, it had made a lasting impact on the fashion world. My intent was to show how contrasting elements can be combined into a homogenous look. I was inspired by the fact that heroin chic made it possible to take a different look at what is considered beautiful. For my collection I tried not to simply copy a specific style but to develop a new interpretation of aspects and characteristics of the times of heroin chic. Therefore I utilized certain fabrics, materials, colors and patterns. To emphasize the important role of the glamorization of drugs, and heroin in particular, I developed my own print patterns microscopic images of the crystalline structure of these substances. Digitally printed on light chiffon, I used them for each of my looks. I pleated some parts of the printed chiffon to achieve a greater range of effects. The light fabric represents the fragile appearance of heroin chic models. The costly material also stands for the glamour associated with the trend. As a contrast to the light chiffon, I utilized heavy leather. It is a material that was often worn by the heroin chic protagonists. For me it also represents the rough aspects of that lifestyle. Torn and faded jeans clothing was also commonly worn. New styles in jeans campaigns played an important role in promoting heroin chic. The mix of new and old jeans fabric I used in my collection is a tribute to these different aspects. I integrated raw-edge seams to reminiscence the scruffy look. I added details and accessories made from steel tin exposed to a corroding agent to resemble the prevalent sepia colors found in photographs of Mario Sorrenti and the decay in their settings. For the color concept, I slightly adjusted the shiny, colorful drug prints to better match the gloominess of heroin chic. The dark green and red leathers complement the dominant shades of the prints. For the jeans I chose black, because it is the primary color I associate with heroin chic and it also represents a dark mood. The pleated chiffon pieces all have a straight outline, but can expand upon moving around. The leather and jeans garments are crafted in either slim or loose fits. The various combinations create straight basic silhouettes in all looks. They are not accentuating feminine curves, because heroin chic revolved around childlike, sometimes androgynous looks. Layering of the pieces of different width and length also resembles clothing habits of heroin chic. I developed a bulky three-dimensional design for the jacket sleeves that brings to mind the clunky bone structure of skinny models with protruding joints. The attempt to escape the social straightjacket with drug abuse, which actually leads to another form of captivity, can be visually depicted by a real straightjacket. Even though the straightjacket as a garment has nothing to with heroin chic itself, that association inspired me to add high collars and straps to the jumpsuit and leather tops. I wanted to make sure all pieces of my collection can be combined with each other and can also be identified as part of my collection when worn separately.