So I've been off for easter for about 2 weeks now and have decided that it was about time I did something cultural, and with a wide selection of galleries in liverpool i didn't have to travel far.
Before going I decided to check what exhibitions were on on the internet first.
I headed to Liverpool to see the Fashion vs Sports exhibition that is on at the walker gallery. It showcases several areas of how fashion has intergrated itself into sportswear and vice versa. The exhibition included pieces from Vivienne Westwood and a sequined wetsuit by Chanel.
The exhibition was split up into 4 sections:
Dare:
looks at contemporary fashions and how sportswear is rated highly as an essential part of the modern wardrobe. Function and high performance are of primary concern in the design of sportswear. Companies invest a great amount of time and money into researching performance-enhancing garments and footwear.
Recently, fashion designers have integrated many of these technologies into their designs, often by collaborating with sports corporations. At the same time, sportswear has become increasingly fashionable and self-aware, often looking back at its own design history.
I liked the chanel sequined wetsuit in this part of the exhibition because of the way it took the glamorous element of all classic chanel designs in the sequins but made a wetsuit out of it.
Display:
highlights the street as the most crucial space where sportswear is worn as fashion.
Sportswear or sports-inspired fashion may seem a uniform type of dress. Lots of people wear trainers with a hooded jersey top and tracksuit bottoms. However, individuality is expressed through subtle differences and changes.
This section explores how homemade street adaptations - such as how laces are tied and decorated or how tracksuits are worn - have inspired designers to reinterpret trainers and the tracksuit. The practice of customising has motivated major sports companies to produce commercially customised goods.
Play:
traces the customisation of sports fashion and shows how the creativity of customisers has been embraced by global superbrands.
Sportswear first crossed over into casual wear because it was comfortable and affordable. Since then it has developed its own look, based on patterns and colours of performance sportswear but often exaggerated.
In playing with the idea of sportswear, designers have pushed the boundaries of what trainers and sports clothes can look like. Witty, ironic and sophisticated, their work reflects the equally inventive customisation of sportswear that can be seen on the street.
My favourite item in this section of the exhibition was a cassette playa tracksuit and t-shirt. I liked this particually because of the bold print it used, you can see the inspiration that has been taken from old 80's sportswear.
Desire:uncovers the world of sportswear obsessives.
From a designer's obsession with football, via one-off, limited edition or cult design pieces, to expensive trainer and tracksuit collections, this section explores how sportswear's function has become almost redundant. Instead, its style has become the key feature.
