Eighteen years ago The KLF burnt a million quid in a ritualistic arty gesture, but fashion history doesn't recall any designer or fashionista who ever burnt their beloved collections of clothes and accessories. Well, at least until last week. Just a few days ago, fashion designer and embroiderer Scott Ramsay Kyle burnt all his past fashion pieces for a filmed performance.
According to him it was all very cathartic especially from a personal and creative point of view, but, fashion critics may argue, the gesture was also very symbolic. After he stopped designing two collections a year, Ramsay Kyle started working on other projects, creating embroidery work for art projects or for brand commissions, proving that genuine creativity can lead a designer to different careers in the art and fashion scenes and not just to stressful routines imposed by the fashion industry.
When did all the burning take place?
Scott Ramsay Kyle: At my studio in East London last week, but I have been planning to do this for a while. The whole process was rather cathartic. My sister and some mates came; a lighter and a few cans of beer – it was fun!!!
Did you burn your collections as a cathartic gesture, as a sort of happening à la KLF or in protest against the media always looking for the next big thing and rarely doing follow ups about young and talented designers?
Scott Ramsay Kyle: I think we live in a time where anyone with talent is deemed a young starlet, especially in a creative sense. I find it so boring when people speak about my creativity in the past tense as if I had some kind of 'chance' to be 'known'. In reality, when I stopped working on my fashion collections, I had so many better opportunities, and I've never been more creative. I went to art school to be creative and become an artist. I intend to work until I drop dead, if I'm blessed to reach the octogenarian stage!
What are you working on at present?
Scott Ramsay Kyle: Creatively working on art-led projects, doing seasonal fashion - mainly embroidery - consultancy for a few major brands in both Paris and New York as this pays really well. I also part-time event manage at a very well known art institute and recently contracted 2 days a week as a Lecturer at Middlesex University. I'm also researching my topic for PhD proposal and genuinely enjoying life!
You can keep up to date with Scott Ramsay Kyle's projects by following his Twitter page.
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Well that's a new one. I've also never heard or seen anything like it before, but hey there's always a first time for everything right? Probably trying to prove something with this move. It's good, it's good.
Posted by: Zentai | October 06, 2012 at 04:11 PM