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Milan Fashion Week Anti-precarity Action

Ben | 27.02.2005 23:33 | Culture | Social Struggles | Workers' Movements | World

At the end of Fashion Week in Milan, anti-precarity activists pulled off an ambitious spoof against the fashion industry and the mainstream media. The scene was set earlier in the week when protesters targeted the a cat walk show by Prada and issued a statement that there would be further protests and that the fashion show by the controversial japanese designer Serpica Naro. On Thursday another show was disrupted when eight women breached security and took over the cat walk and issued further statements over the microphone before being kicked out. Milans police contacted the press agent of Serpica Naro and warned them of the threats being made to disrupt her show which was schedualed to take place on saturday evening. The media ran a few stories and the agent for Serpica Naro was interviewed about the prospect of protests by anti-precarity activists.

Reports: [ 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 ] Photos: [ 1 | 2 ] | Video |

Catwalk
Catwalk


Saturday arrived and preparation for the Serpica Naro show were on the way while in a nearby social centre a gathering of activists swelled to around a hundred. On mass the protesters left the social centre and headed for the location of the fashion show which has been set up in a large marquee in a car park on a bridge over the railway by a large hotel.

The police however had no intention of letting the protesters disrupt the fashion show and were present in large nummbers blocking all access to the bridge (the location being almost perfectly choosen to facilitate such protection). There was a stand off but the protesters werer laughthing rather than being intimidated or upset at being prevented from reaching their target.

The police were rather confussed - the protesters showed the printed permission showing that they had infact official booked the bridge for an event. Even more confussing, the press agent for Serpica Naro was with the group of protesters, as were a group of models. Eventually the true came out - there was no famous japanese designer by the name of Serpica Naro. The whole fashion show was an elabroate hoax organised by anti-precarity campaigners who were now set to turn the tables on the media and the fashion industry with their own fashion show.

The police were slow in accepting their fate and the egg on their face but eventualy stepped aside for the crowd to access the bridge. With cheers the police line fell away and the work began on transforming the marquee into a fashion show.

At around 7pm the press began to assemble, still on the whole, unaware of the joke. The show began and Serpica Naros press agent took the mic to and explained the situation to the gathered media. At the same time, a mass of people had marched onto the bridge behind the banner of San Precario - the mythical patron saint of precarious workers. The group and the banner entered the marquee to cheers.

The spot lights came on an traversed the cat walk as the show began. Seven models came out one at a time in custumes designed to expose and poke fun out of issues relating to the precarious nature of employement. Cameras flashed at TV cameras jostled for postion as the show continued.

After the industrial couture there were additional fashion shows including Sailormars from London - a collection made entirely from waste fabric and trimmings thrown away by the garment industry of east london.

The party continued into the night and the organisers of the spoof awaiting the mornings press to see exactly what their had reaped. The total cost of the action was in the region of five thousand euros. With the slogan ´Precarity is in Fashion´, the campaign should hopefully shed a little media light on the issue for this week at least.

Ben

Comments

Hide the following 5 comments

defining precarity

04.03.2005 16:21

bravo ben, but anti-precarity doesn't exactly translate into a catchy battle cry. i got a hazy gist of the event's particular protest from the italian article so i'm presuming you spent all that money to stage a show about the exploitation of temporary workers in the clothing trade. my italian is very rusty but my english could do with a more precise definition. this isn't a troll-gripe: i would actually like to understand better.

precaria


more info on precarity

04.03.2005 17:53

hi,

While i share your view that precarity is a difficult campaigning concept to grasp and tackle, I am unable to help much in defining it for you. My Italian isn't rusty, it's none existant so I couldn't really pin things down further in Italy. In the UK there is a anti-precarity network formed and meeting to work on these issues.

You might be interested to learn that the latest issue of Mute Magazine is themed on the issue of precarity and you can read some of it online. see www.metamute.com

anyway, such is the precarious nature of my online existance that I must now leave..

ben


defining precarity

04.03.2005 21:50

thank you ben! new day, new word. at least i started thinking. maybe confusing signs work better for some people -like deliberate misspellings to catch attention. i thought it may even have been a spoof movement staging a spoof fashion show. anyway, i'm intrigued so i'll read more. which can only be good.

precarita


Precarious assembly

05.03.2005 23:34

I noticed that today (Sat 5th) there was a precarity assembly (meeting) at the cock tavern (a pub). further info apparently will be available on a new website www.precarity.info

ben


prego

06.03.2005 06:26

Fashion in Falluja
Fashion in Falluja

Domenica 6 marzo h 11.30
menu:
Spiedini di frutta mista, ananas a caravella, tartine miste, affettati, frittate, torta di mele, crostata, plum salade, sfoglia salata, formaggi misti, pinzimonio, insalata di pasta, crisssini avvoltolati, dessert al cucchiaio, insalata mista, focaccia a volonta\'.


PROGETTO DDM (daidemoves)
I desideri possono cadere nel vuoto o atterrare dolcemente su di un tetto rosso e un po\' scalcinato con dei piccoli lucernai che se ci guardi dentro puoi immaginare cose meravigliose

Stiamo attivando uno spazio di autoproduzione culturale all\'interno di Pergola Move, si tratta di un crocevia di idee e persone che da anni attraverso i propri linguaggi lavorano nelle scuole con le associazioni nella produzione di spettacoli e atti creativi.
Il progetto si chiama DDM (daidemoves) e prevede: corsi laboratori danza-movimento-video-teatro, disegno e tecniche creative di costruzione, per adulti, adolescenti e bambini, pomeriggi di gioco, cinema per bimbi nel quartiere, festival rassegne, videodanza, performances, live set vj, spazio espositivo

La prima fase di questo progetto prevede la ristrutturazione dello spazio di lavoro, per questo ci saranno, nei prossimi mesi, una serie di iniziative di autofinanziamento e promozione di cui quella sopraindicata e\' il principio.
Per approfondire consultate reload.realityhacking.org

Pretorius


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