Accessories: something that is added but it is not essential, clothing that is worn or carried, but not part of your main clothing
September 09, 2004
Did you ever notice how much dictionary differs from real life' use of words? Take 'democracy' by instance, and analyse its meaning keeping in mind the manipulation of communication and news applied by mass media. Funny uhu? But we don't want to be heavy and cerebral here, we want to focus on another word, accessories: the definition says that it is something that it is not essential. Well can you imagine a Hollywood star without dark frames? Or some slick trousers without a python belt? Do you think that stylists were highly paid to place on a piece the right shoes, if they were not essential? Do you picture yourself as the same person without that special, unique touch that gives you your favourite hat?
Well we don't, and the Royal College of Arts doesn't either: within their MA courses there are areas of design specialisations, that may be studied separately, like Footwear, Accessory design and millinery.
ITS#THREE was proud and honoured to host the Royal College of Arts' Accessories exhibition, featuring both menswear and womenswear MA students as Catharine Vernon-Smith (Footwear), Annejkh Carson (Footwear), Sophie Speyer (Accessories), Zoe Tamara Lee (Footwear), Lolita Aguardo (Millinery), Eleonora Bergmans (Accessories) and the collective Manolo Blahnik Project.
During the 3 days of our event the exhibition enchanted our guests right at the entrance of the venue in the old free port of Trieste. In almost complete darkness every single piece was put under a spotlight, giving the effect that the accessories were floating in midair.
Getting a closer peek the set up was quite sophisticated, using a geometrical structure to divide in groups the pieces of the students, melting them with metal and natural elements.
Creativity and skills in the realisation talked by themselves and the exhibition has been highly praised.
Of course we didn't go to the trouble of organising an exhibition for pure aesthetic pleasure or just to fill in the huge emptyness of dock 5. We wanted to put the accessories design into the right perspective, the same fashion industry needs it and asks for it.
You, students with some inclination in designing accessories, should really go for it, specialising in it and giving it the importance that it deserves as a fundamental field of fashion design. Accessory my ass!
