Archizoom were a design collective that came from Florence, Italy in the ‘60s. One of their most notable works was this idea of a no-stop city. Where all traditional concepts of a city were abandoned and instead was this city full of liberation and adaptation. It was ever-changing. Within this idea, they created what was called 'Dressing is easy' which was a feature in the magazine 'Fashionably Late". The figure above is an excerpt out of the feature which is what I'll be taking inspiration from. Dressing is easy was created to keep up and match this no-stop city. They designed this Boiler suit or jumpsuit to accommodate the fast pace work in a factory, with a very mobile and durable design. The context in which this is worn is suggested through the illustrations depicting factories in the background. However, this design was multi-purpose as other illustrations suggest that this boiler suit could be used for other activities. These activities include house cleaning and sword fighting. They also portray the simplicity of the design by providing the production sketch. The simplicity further contributes to being able to adapt. Its minimal colour scheme makes the overall picture less overwhelming, it also means that the colours too, can adapt to any situation. All in all, this design and illustrations provide and accommodate the people living in a no-stop city with a piece of clothing that will assist in keeping up in a no-stop city.
In my Illustration, I tried to replicate the same techniques and ideas used in 'Dressing is easy'. Firstly, I had to think and draw the context in which I was "dressing easy" for. I decided to make it more relevant to myself and made the context uni, more specifically UTS. This is why I had drawn it in the middle, making it the salience of the whole illustration. From there, I had to think and draw a design that wasn't too complicated so that it was easy to wear, match, and apply in different scenarios. I ended up with a reversible jacket that encapsulates two different designs within one.
On Side A, which is illustrated on the left, is a military-esque jacket. The purpose of this design and illustration was so that uni students could have a more casual look while staying practical. All the pockets accommodate for the fast pace uni life as it is designed to carry your pens, pencils and technical equipment, as well as your laptop. Having everything you require for a class within your jacket prepares every student for uni life.
The second illustration and design, Side B, takes on a more formal silhouette. This grooms the wearer ready for in-class presentations, speeches, and conferences. Since the jacket is reversible, you still have all your possessions within the inside of the jacket, concealing it from the audience.
This multi-faceted design is furthered by the colours used. Blue and Green are quite neutral colours which are nice and vibrant but also appropriate in any situation for Uni. I was able to show the versatility of the jackets by drawing them onto students wearing many different colours between them. Some similar characteristics I achieve with Archizoom was their hand-drawn techniques which make the illustrations more 'raw' and authentic
Ultimately, I think through the various illustrations and designs, I have demonstrated dressing is easy in a more relevant context in the ever-changing and fast pace of university.
