Black Tie 2 Bondage IV
as it appeared in The Ottawa Citizen, November 9th, 2000
article written by Gina Gillespie
Please see the easy to read text version below.
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press clipping for Black Tie 2 Bondage IV as it appeared in The Ottawa Citizen, November 9th, 2000 article written by Gina Gillespie Please see the easy to read text version below. |
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| From formal to
foam and fetish wear Saw Gallery's Black Tie 2 Bondage fund-raiser pushes the boundaries Black tie and tails will share the runway with rubber skirts and wrist restraints as artists give form to fantasies for the fourth annual fund-raising phenomenon, Black Tie 2 Bondage IV. From formal wear to fetish wear, SAW Gallery's fund-raising fashion show in the Arts Court theatre tomorrow night promises to push the boundaries of art and fashion. "This is not about perfection, it's about fun," says fashion co-ordinator Darcy Schmidt. So the models will be real people wearing real materials, like recycled tires, elastic bands, saran wrap, film, wire and wax. The emphasis is on wearable art, held together with enough duct tape, staples and hot glue to get the models down the runway and back. The 30 contributors come from every corner of the artistic community. They're writers, photographers, dancers, and musicians, as well as artists and designers. The diversity adds up to an event that puts the "fun" into "fund-raiser." And from Simone MacAndrew's Egyptian-influenced velvet gown with chain overlay that celebrates feminine beauty, to Karen Friis' foam core construction entitled "The Jetson's meet paper doll cut-outs," the clothing carries a message. "Sex is fun and recycling is good," is the message sent by artist Caro's revealing rubber dress, which offers a tantalizing glimpse of butt cleavage. It's made from a solid piece of inner-tube rubber salvaged from a mechanics garage. She's accessorized her ensemble with a flogger made from bicycle parts and bunge cord. Caro, a fetish-wear designer, finds that snapping on a spiky collar brings out a certain meanness, an attitude that she finds empowering. "You feel like a diva," she says. And in keeping with her vegetarian lifestyle, she chooses rubber over leather. It's 100-per-cent vegan, 100-per-cent sexy. Karen Friis' designs show that fabric is not essential to portray an illusion of clothing. She's working to expand the standard stereotypes of fashion with her foam-core creations, worn cut-out and doll-style over flesh-coloured body suits. "I was working with a lot of fabric," says the lanky, red-haired designer. "For this event I decided to try something with glue, scissors and paint." The popular event traditionally raises about $10,000 for SAW Gallery, a non-profit contemporary arts centre that focuses on support for new media, new performance work and art that openly declares its political and social position. Doors open at Arts Court theatre at 2 Daly Ave. at 8 p.m., with the funky fashion lineup starting at 9 p.m. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door. |
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