Alexander McQueen's Skin Being Used To Make a New Collection of Bags & Jackets

[christian zh]

ALEXANDER MCQUEEN'S SKIN IS BEING USED TO MAKE A NEW COLLECTION OF BAGS & LEATHER JACKETS

By Lauren Alexis Fisher
Jul 18, 2016

In strange fashion-meets-tech news, a fashion design student is currently working on a collection of leather bags and jackets made from the late Alexander McQueen's skin. Quartz reports that London-based designer Tina Gorjanc, who is a student at Central Saint Martins, is using McQueen's DNA to grow human skin in a lab project for part of her material futures program at the fashion school.

The "skin" will bear tattoos, moles and freckles reflecting the real locations, size and design of McQueen's. Gorjanc launched the project titled "Pure Human" with hopes to bring to light "how corporations might one day exploit genetic information for luxury goods, and to showcase how little protection exists for a person's DNA," according to the article.

Gorjanc was able to use McQueen's DNA from the late designer's 1992 "Jack the Ripper Stalks His Victims" collection, which he sewed his own hair into. To protect the project, Gorjanc filed two patents so far—one for the "bioengineered genetic material that is grown in the lab using tissue-engineering technology and the process of de-extinction" and the other to protect the actual design process itself.

But don't get too excited to wear a jacket made out of McQueen's skin–the final collection will most likely be put on display in a gallery rather than being sold to consumers.

And how does McQueen's brand feel about Gorjanc's DNA project? According to Gorjanc, they were quite impressed:

"At my final degree show, one of the McQueen representatives came to see my project. They were really fascinated with the idea and I've had a really positive response from them...People that were really close to him or that worked for his institution said that he might actually like the idea. He was always pushing the boundaries and always trying to break laws in fashion."

-harpersbazaar.com

 

[kokobombon]

^that was right up this year´s MET Gala alley

 

[Scotty]

Gross.

 

[whitewine82]

Wtf??

 

[Pricciao]

I find it quite cool. The concept is to hand down his legacy in a materialism form. For all the genius inspiration and the energy he sparked, ended up being sold and kept as a bag, so messed up and realistic.

 

[MulletProof]

Besides being grotesque and vain, it just breaches ethical limits... probably making a scientist shed a tear or two somewhere, to devote years working so hard on something that might move humanity a millimeter closer in terms of research and survival only to have your standard fashion airhead jump at the chance of his so-called forecast of genetic exploitation for luxury goods, proudly claiming to break "fashion laws" by using said work to decorate a) a luxury item, b) thirst for celebrity culture, and c) ambitions as a fashion designer. Not function or purpose whatsoever, just something to sit nicely in a museum, appear in a magazine, get talked about and of course get his career started.

Some great science + fashion projects coming out of CSM lately but this is just pure H&M/Instagram generation, wanting controversy, celebrity and immediate stardom at any cost and no matter how low they need to fall as humans.

This type of things make you wonder a bit about these academic programs, maybe too much focus cultivating "talent" and abilities to push the envelope and poor efforts to make fashion less archaic and selfish, more critical and demanding. I mean fashion being distastefully dumb and extraordinarily greedy is the fashion we all know and are bored with... how about nurturing responsibility and ethics so that the field eventually develops a relevant input next to others in maybe 30 years?

That being said, and probably the least of his concerns, it does make for a good internal debate on double standards with animal skin, and why is skin from another type of animal other than us less uncomfortable.. same for anonymity, and why does it feel slightly better even if he died violently just to provide his skin instead of being lab-grown from someone that lived with enough physical freedom in order to die willingly.

 

[RedSmokeRise]

Well that was certainly surreal to read.

I love #fashion as much as the next guy but we should really draw the line at growing skin in petri dishes for the sake of some handbags. These kinds of antics always end up causing more eye rolls than any kind of artistic enlightenment.

Whatever happened to just teaching students how to make great clothes?

 

[zacatecas570]

That is sick!!

 

[StoneSkipper]

I love how fashion is so often a parody of itself

 

[dodencebt]

I find it quite cool. The concept is to hand down his legacy in a materialism form. For all the genius inspiration and the energy he sparked, ended up being sold and kept as a bag, so messed up and realistic.

I second that. I think it's a very boundary pushing project, extremely controversial - even quite sick, but very much in tune with what Lee would do himself.

Also, it's hardly the first time a designer has done something like this to "gain instant attention" - Hussein Chalayan burying his clothes comes to mind as one of many examples.

 

[AnaD]

Gross.

 

[Wintergreen]

That's kinda funny and I guess I'm okay with it. At first I thought it was from the actual body... which would've been disgusting.

 

[Fashionstuff]

It's disgusting.

 

[maxlinden]

itsalekzmx.tumblr

 

[pen6693]

I second that. I think it's a very boundary pushing project, extremely controversial - even quite sick, but very much in tune with what Lee would do himself.

Also, it's hardly the first time a designer has done something like this to "gain instant attention" - Hussein Chalayan burying his clothes comes to mind as one of many examples.

Thinking the same thing. This is the most McQueen idea I've heard about in fashion since McQueen's last collection.
Not farfetched from what he would do himself.
It's going to be interesting to see pieces.

 

[CommanderTMugler]

Very cool. So Edgy. Much Fashion.

 

[TREVOFASHIONISTO]

Very cool. So Edgy. Much Fashion.

my exact thoughts

 

[russianelf]

So where are the bags lol?

 

[Melancholybaby]

So where are the bags lol?

Buffalo Bill's basement?

I hadn't noticed this back when it was posted so...it was definitely a ride reading the thread title and the article. No matter how ridiculously vain, vapid, ridiculous and embarrassing the fashion industry is presented as in movies/TV shows etc., none of these depictions can ever beat reality.

 

[tigerrouge]

Maybe make a home range with a few lampshades, just to be extra edgy.