Merce Cunningham put the Comme des Garcons lumps on stage
Fashion didn't know what to do with Rei Kawakubo (@commedesgarcons_official)'s padded 1997 collection. Merce Cunningham (@mercecunninghamtrust) did. On 14 October 1997 his dance 'Scenario' premiered at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in costumes Kawakubo adapted from 'Body Meets Dress, Dress Meets Body', the down-padded gingham pieces remembered as lumps and bumps. She adjusted the seams so dancers could move, designed the set and lighting too, and the two of them worked independently by design: he choreographed his way, she cut hers. A collection fashion couldn't place found its audience in dance, and the argument it started about what a body should look like is still running.
The weekly
NewsletterWeeklyOne email a week. Every post from the week, and what didn't fit on a slide.Free. Never shared. Unsubscribe any time.
The post, as it ran
01FASHION DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH THE 'LUMPS AND BUMPS'.
MERCE CUNNINGHAM DID.
0214 OCTOBER 1997, BROOKLYN ACADEMY OF MUSIC: CUNNINGHAM'S
'SCENARIO' PREMIERES IN REI KAWAKUBO'S PADDED COSTUMES, ADAPTED
STRAIGHT FROM 'BODY MEETS DRESS, DRESS MEETS BODY'.
03THE PADS SAT WHERE PADS DO NOT GO: SHOULDERS, HIPS, BELLY,
BACK, SEWN INTO PINK AND BLUE GINGHAM STRETCH NYLON.
04THE TWO BARELY COORDINATED, BY DESIGN. HE CHOREOGRAPHED HIS
WAY, SHE CUT HERS, SEAMS ADJUSTED JUST ENOUGH TO LET DANCERS
MOVE. SHE DID THE SET AND THE LIGHTING TOO.
05A COLLECTION FASHION COULDN'T PLACE FOUND ITS AUDIENCE IN
DANCE. THE ARGUMENT IT STARTED ABOUT WHAT A BODY SHOULD LOOK
LIKE IS STILL RUNNING.