When you think of workwear, you quickly picture overalls, fleece vests, pants with lots of pockets and knee pads. Workwear is functional and should protect and support the body at work. This functionality, protection and straightforwardness of workwear has always had a major impact on fashion. From jeans to lumberjack shirts and cargo pants to dungarees – they are all considered statement pieces today. The “Workwear” exhibition at The New Institute in Rotterdam is dedicated to the social and utopian motifs of workwear. Because fashion designers see these clothes as a symbol of equality and solidarity, as it turns out.
FashionUnited had the opportunity to visit the exhibition on the eve of its grand opening on March 25th. Dozens of journalists got the message before even looking at the exhibition and turned up in different colored overalls. Some teamed it with stiletto heels, others wore timeless trainers and a beanie. Workwear is for everyone.
Upon entering, one was immediately whisked away into the world of ‘more dangerous’ professions. A silver astronaut suit, clogs and a butcher’s apron made of hundreds of pieces of metal were on display, vying for attention. Aside from the fact that this isn’t contemporary clothing for most of us, the quality of the creations stood out. After all, workwear is something original, maybe timeless. It is not for nothing that fashion brands are inspired by her. For example, the well-known Dutch denim brand G-Star Raw, which has built up a whole archive of workwear. With hardcore denim, the brand tries to explore all possibilities of denim. This is evident in the exhibition, among other things, in a padded denim suit for dog trainers and a pilot’s suit from 1942.
The “Workwear” exhibition is a homage to workwear
The exhibition not only draws attention to professions that require protective clothing, but also focuses on the utopia of workwear. For ideological reasons, artists and politicians dealt with workwear and advocated workwear. The Russian artist Aleksandr Rodtschenko (1891-1956) and the Hungarian painter and photographer László Moholy-Nagy (1895-1946) wore work clothes for political reasons: the clothes should be the same for everyone every day. With the Russian Constructivists, Rodchenko and Moholy-Nagy considered themselves servants of the people and in 1920 designed the “productivist work suits”. The Lithuanian-Russian artist Varvara Stepanova (1854-1958), for example, designed such a suit: a white overall, over which a red garden suit was pulled. The suit in the exhibition dates from 1979 and shows Stepanova’s idea that fashion should be replaced by garments that can be worn anywhere and serve as tools for the wearer. Her “productivist suit” evolved into a clothing line. Each design differed in the type of work. All suits were industrially manufactured and contained no decorative details or personal expressions.
While Stepanova drew attention to equality, Lygia Clark (1920-1988), a Brazilian artist often associated with Constructivist movements, focused on the versatility of workwear. Clark designed two gray PVC coveralls with masks. Anyone who takes a first look quickly understands the message of the relationship through the black snake that connects the sculptures. Upon closer inspection, the entire message becomes clear. Both suits have different fabrics on the inside that are often used in workwear to protect people. For example, one of the pockets contains wool, which is commonly used to keep people warm. The inside of the other suit feels stiff, reminiscent of protection from outside evil.
What should not be missing, of course, is the influence of workwear on the fashion industry. Workwear has inspired many fashion designers with the original quality that defines it. The most influential designer who managed to stand out is the founder of the Stone Island fashion brand, Massimo Osti. As one of the first fashion designers, he sells high-quality workwear as everyday fashion. It’s not for nothing that he gets his own stage in the exhibition. A dozen Osti sculpts follow, including a terracotta goose down jacket with anatomical foam inserts designed to protect the most sensitive parts of the body, and a green poncho that can be worn as waterproof protection. The two triangles can be converted into a stretcher and even double as a raft if the survivor adds reeds or straws. The wide silver cuffs ensure that the rain cannot penetrate.
Further back in the exhibition, Iris de Leeuw’s work from the 1960s, the so-called Speespak, takes the spotlight. Each part of the Dutch artist’s suit is a different colour. The irony makes the audience smile, but also makes them think. The special feature of the suit is the zipper that runs across both legs. This ensures that the legs can be pulled out and swapped with other wearers. Here, too, the focus is on functionality, but that is not the message the artist wants to convey. De Leeuw wants to draw attention to something completely different: the Speespak aims to break the taboo on touching intimate areas close to the body.
It is obvious that workwear influences fashion. Fashion designers are still learning from the qualities of workwear and not letting the craftsmanship go away. Workwear is an inexhaustible source of inspiration in terms of functionality.
The “Workwear” exhibition can be viewed at The New Institute in Rotterdam until September 10, 2023.
This translated and edited post previously appeared on FashionUnited.nl.