ANTI

THES

IS

V . I. I  

CONTRIBUTORS

GARMENTS ELIZABETH ARLOW FOR ANTITHESIS 1, 3, 6, 10, 13

LITERATURE

TIANA REID 4&5, 8&9, 15 ELIZABETH ARLOW

VISUAL ART CEDAR EVE PETERS 9&10 KENDRA BRAMSON-BOWES 14 SOPHIE EDELL 7 TREVOR WHEATLEY 16

ASSEMBLED & EDITED BY ELIZABETH ARLOW COEDITED BY TIANA REID

ANTITHESIS  

     

Born  out  of  a  necessity  for  innovative,  accessible  fashion  and  culture,  Antithesis  fulfills  contemporary  desires  of  sartorial  achievement,  talent  nurturing  and  

cultural  celebration.  Showcasing  attainable,  progressive  fashion  and  art,  Antithesis  seeks  to  

provide  an  approach  to  contemporary  culture  beyond  the  mainstream.  

   

 

V.I.I INTRODUCTIONS

 

This  project  grew  out  of  a  need  to  permanently  document  the  beginning  of  a  brand.  As  an  introduction,  V.I.I  not  only  

seeks  to  establish  ANTITHESIS  as  a  collection  of  garments,  but  also  the  

philosophy  and  vision  driving  the  brand.  The  work  represented  in  the  following  pages  features  a  variety  of  styles  and  

perspectives  that  collectively  embody  the  talent  and  diversity  that  Antithesis  seeks  to  

nurture  and  capture.      

     

Divulging  personal  goals  and  projects  can  be  difficult.  Why  is  that?  Something  to  do  with  humility  or  just  a  general  not  wanting  to  spill  the  beans  before  they  have  cooked?  There's  a  difference  between  talking  about  something  that  you  have  devoted  significant  time  and  thought  to,  as  opposed  to  speaking  to  the  contribution  that  you  have  made  to  someone  else's  dream.    Antithesis  was  brought  about  through  my  personal  desire  and  infatuation  with  clothing,  or  more  specifically,  culture.  We  often  neglect  to  recognize  the  history  and  cultural  influence  behind  the  garment  or  brand.  For  many,  clothing  serves  merely  a  functional  purpose  -­‐  which  in  itself  is  admirable  and  often  the  most  inspiring.  With  mass  availability  of  culture,  I  would  go  so  far  to  suggest  that  individuals  involved  with  cultural  production  are  more  impacted  and  influenced  than  ever  before,  and  more  particularly  at  a  subconscious  level.  Antithesis  represents  that  for  me.  Although  the  garments  themselves  are  largely  minimalist,  that  design  and  stylistic  quality  is  deeply  rooted  in  how  and  what  culture  I  have  inhaled.      

In  a  broader  sense,  Antithesis  was  birthed  and  functions  as  what  I  consider  to  be  a  'cultural  fish  bowl'.  Collaboration  is  more  prevalent  and  controversial  than  ever.  It  allows  you  to  view  your  own  ideas  and  passions  through  the  mind  of  another;  it  has  the  ability  to  produce  the  highest  levels  of  thought  and  creation.  I  am  fascinated  by  the  possibility  of  experiencing  my  ideas  put  into  motion  in  conjunction  with  someone  who  views  production  or  functionality  differently  than  me.  I  think  everyone  should  have  the  ability  to  experience  that.      Objective  is  a  tricky  word.  Intent  and  actuality  are  ambiguous  -­‐  and  rightly  so.  Effortless  and  functionality  are  permanent  objectives.      There  are  many  obvious  actions  and  choices  -­‐  extending  beyond  fashion  and  popular  culture.  What  I  have  specific  interest  in  are  those  ideas  that  are  inherent  and  natural  to  an  individual  that  are  neglected  by  the  public.  Clichés  are  such  for  a  reason.      

four  a.m.      Saturday  night,  high  off  of  movie  popcorn,  sugary  sweets,  and  all  the  cinema  of  attractions  that  a  3D  action  flick  has  to  offer,  we  ducked  in  to  the  local  pharmacy,  minutes  before  ten  p.m.  She  was  going  to  dye  her  hair  a  boring,  but  more  even,  brown.  I,  on  the  other  hand,  was  looking  for  a  noticeable,  yet  unregrettable  change.  At  first,  I  opted  for  a  light  brown.  Then,  she  suggested  an  auburn  hue.  We  stood  and  stared  at  the  rows  and  rows  of  what  seemed  to  be  (and  is)  the  exact  same  product,  just  repackaged,  rebranded,  and  transformed.      After  a  few  long  minutes,  I  realized  why  I  was  having  so  much  difficulty  choosing:  the  sheer  whiteness  of  all  the  faces.  Not  a  single  noticeable  black  chick  to  compare  myself  to.  “Wow,  I  never  noticed  that,”  she  said.  She  never  had  to.      Suddenly,  the  lights  were  dimming  in  the  drug  store.  We  had  to  make  a  decision.  At  this  point,  I  had  the  light  brown  dye  in  my  hands,  with  its  obscure  commercial  name,  probably  something  like  “Husky  Nutmeg,”  or  “Oaky  Hazelnut,”  neither  of  which  could  possibly  be  accurate.  We  walked  to  the  cash.  Still  unsure,  I  heard  her  say  something  that  made  me  change  my  mind  –  even  now,  I’m  not  sure  exactly  what  she  said  –  and  just  like  that,  I  rushed  back  and  grabbed  the  red-­‐auburn-­‐brown.  

On  the  walk  home,  we  grabbed  a  six-­‐pack  of  beer  to  calm  my  anxieties  (hopefully).  When  we  got  back  to  my  apartment,  she  parted,  brushed,  and  dyed  my  hair  like  a  professional.  I  was  surprised,  since  I  have  black  hair  and  all.  You  know,  that  “nappy-­‐headed  hoe”  shit.  While  washing  it  out  in  the  shower,  after  twenty-­‐five  minutes  smoking  cigarettes  in  an  old  t-­‐shirt,  I  felt  like  Carrie.  And  I  don’t  mean  Carrie  Bradshaw.  It  looked  like  blood  and  it  took  forever,  longer  than  forever,  to  stop  running  profusely  down  my  neck  and  back.      It  was  only  the  next  morning,  at  four  a.m.  or  so,  as  I  was  getting  myself  ready  for  my  flight  that  I  really  noticed  the  redness.  It  was  uneven  –  patchy  almost.  But  I  loved  it.  I  felt  liberated  in  the  way  that  I  suppose  you  do  when  you  get  a  tattoo.  My  persistent  woes  of  not  knowing  how  to  take  care  of  my  hair  –  which  I  don’t  –  vanished.  If  only  for  a  moment.  It  looked  as  if  I  had  calmly  walked  through  blazing  flames,  and  escaped  with  no  wounds,  just  a  head  full  of  untamable  fire.    -­‐  TIANA  REID      

borderlines      In  the  dead  of  night,  we  shuffled  like  sardines  out  of  the  tinny  fifty-­‐seater  bus.  We  were  told  to  grab  our  bags  that  were  stuffed  –  equally  sardined  –  in  the  belly  of  the  vehicle.  I  stepped  out  of  the  bus  squinting  my  eyes  because  of  the  way  the  assaultive  cold  brushed  my  fuzzy  eyelids.  Inside  the  small  one-­‐story  building,  the  lights  shone  a  burning  fluorescent  yellow,  but  still,  were  not  bright  enough  to  wake  me  up.  Darkness  enveloped  the  building,  making  it  impossible  to  feel  any  true  light.      We  all  waited  in  a  messy  queue  that  curved  through  pole  barriers  with  its  paint  scratched  off.  Finally,  I  stepped  over  the  yellow  line  to  speak  to  the  man  in  uniform.  He  asked  me  all  the  standard  questions  like  “Where  are  you  going?”  “Who  are  you  travelling  with?”  and  “How  long  will  you  be  gone?”  I  answered  truthfully.  I  was  too  tired  to  think  of  an  amusing  lie,  anyway.  I  belatedly  added  “sir”  to  the  end  of  my  responses.  And  then  he  gave  me  travel  advice.  He  said  it  was  cheapest  to  fly  to  New  York  City  out  of  Buffalo.  Thanks…  sir.      I  scraped  along  back  outside.  I  threw  my  heavy  duffle  bag  into  the  bottom  of  the  bus  and  dragged  my  heavier  self  up  the  stairs  and  into  a  seat,  any  seat,  and  not  the  one  I  was  in  before,  I’m  sure.      My  worn-­‐out  eyes  were  looking  for  a  sign  –  a  literal  sign  –  that  read  “Welcome  to  the  United  States,”  or  at  the  very  least,  “Welcome,”  but  as  I  crawled  back  into  my  seat,  I  didn’t  see  anything  at  all.      -­‐  TIANA  REID    

 

ANTITHESIS V.I. I WAS CONCEIVED AND COMPLETED IN MONTREAL. THANK YOU TO ALL THOSE WHO CONTRIBUTED WORK AND AIDED IN ALLOWING ANTITHESIS V.I. I TO

COME TO FRUITION.

MARCH 2011