New Exhibition 'Armour' Tackles the Age-Old Statement 'Can Clothing Be Armour' Head On
Clothing has long been described as 'armour' to protect its wearer, but what does this truly mean? 'Armour' by Ronan Mckenzie's HOME sets out to explore the relationship in a new exhibition.
Clothing has long been described as 'armour' to protect its wearer, but what does this truly mean? 'Armour' by Ronan Mckenzie's HOME sets out to explore the relationship in a new exhibition.
The concept of clothing as armour has long intrigued generations of academics, intellectuals and ordinary people alike. Beyond protecting us from the heat, wind and rain, HOME's new exhibition Armour, celebrates the craft and creation of 11 Black designers: A-COLD-WALL*, Ahluwalia, Àrámìdé, Bianca Saunders, FEBEN, Martine Rose, Olubiyi Thomas, Tolu Coker, TSAU, Walé Adeyemi and Wesley Harriott.
'Armour is a tabula rasa – a blank slate – stripping the featured designs of the layers of context an image or runway show provides and enticing you to draw your own conclusions based on primal sensorial instincts.' - Hannah Buckman
With each designer's background as diverse as their respective approaches towards clothing and protection - from sensual experimental knitwear, born from pure imagination to slick architectural shapes akin to sculptures - the exhibition highlights the relationship we have with our clothes beyond a literal protective means but also portrays its metaphorical importance too. Nuances between the natural and unnatural, colourful and monochrome, rigidity and softness have never been made more apparent.
This is more than just a fashion exhibition, covering subjects of style, taste, materials and community, it's about unpicking with your mind and revelling in the detailed craftsmanship. HOME's exhibition is also supported by Gucci, marking the beginning of a three part partnership. Intrigued? Buy your tickets now, ready for when the exhibition will throw open its physical (and digital) doors to the public on 30 September.