Ever see someone wearing a cardboard box, a paper outfit, or an acrobat on tightrope wearing a outfit made of upcycled materials? The fifth Butt x Better will be held on July 7th in Berlin, which is an event for alternative designers, artists, and activists to use creativity and upcycling to bring attention to some of the negative practices in the fashion world and provide a critique of consumer culture.
The event has a number of events that culminate in a large show that will be in the center of Berlin, at the Friedrichstrasse, which is a major shopping street. Anyone is invited to participate, and the organizers write, “We want to call on EVERYBODY, to get involved! Friedrichstrasse is open for us, let’s start a parade which will blow off people’s clothes! Fight Fashion-Terror, Present Alternatives -that’s the motto!”
There are tents with upcycled materials, and participants also are invited to exchange clothes with others. At the event there will be a parade, performances, art installations, music, and a fashion show on a large catwalk structure. Speechs at the event will talk about issues, facts, and also communicate a call for change in the fashion industry.
The event is open, but the organizers promote several values that include:
– We promote ideas, attitudes and actions directed towards a more sustainable society. That means: We are not a promotion platform for products.
– We especially support unconventional forms of activism. Political correctness may be bent.
– We strongly encourage to irritate rather than affirm stereotypical images (e.g. about gender, ethnicity, bodies, etc.)
– We are against aggressive behavior and violent actions.
I watched a couple of videos of last year’s events that show people wearing amazing wing structures made of paper, stilt walkers wearing a cape made of post-it notes, and a woman wearing a bra that looks like it is made of fried eggs. I can’t make the event this year, but I am keeping the website in my things to participate in the future folder on my computer – for the future. Check out the videos, which are pretty interesting to watch (and funny.)
Image Source:
Fashion Circus “But and Better”: beatings on the catwalk Online Article (Translated to English
Links:
Fashion Circus “But and Better”: beatings on the catwalk Online Article (Translated to English
Video from the Butt x Better Event 2003