Extravagant clothes design, complicated multicolored geometric textile patterns and a brave selection of fabrics are not exclusively for front running-fashion designers anymore. Public transport is the newest source of pure gold when it comes to courageous style and nobody knows that better than German artist Menja Stevenson.
In 2008, Menja Stevenson began a daring project called “Bustour”, which combined performance art, photography, and social experiments. She spent three years designing clothes from transit fabric patterns and wore them in Public transport, creating stunning photos as she seamlessly blended in with transportation interiors and observed the reactions of other passengers.
Artist wanted to illustrate how fabric patterns imprint into our daily routine and our memory, so much so that we no longer consciously notice it.
Menja had to do a lot of persuading to get transport companies to donate the fabric to her, which is not publicly available, but it was all worth it in the end.
More info: menjastevenson.de
(h/t BBC)
A slightly bored expression, dreamy look through the window, hands on the lap – just a casual passenger living her daily struggles. Except that her outfit is conspicuously inconspicuous
Image credits: Menja Stevenson
Menja says, that you are probably mistaken if you think that people accept ugliness of their surroundings, they are just not aware of it
Image credits: Menja Stevenson
“Such a pattern, like a lot of everyday things, imprints itself into our memory unconsciously without being actually perceived. Through my intervention, the beholder becomes aware of the invisible fabric… I wanted to get the unseen seen”
Image credits: Menja Stevenson
Menja was very proud she managed to convince German transportation companies to send her the commercially-unavailable fabric, which was challenging to work with, as the stiff fabric often broke the needle
Image credits: Menja Stevenson
“Wearing them, you sweat like crazy, they feel like a knight’s armour and it’s hard to act naturally”
Image credits: Menja Stevenson
A performance that combined humour and social criticism didn’t receive a massive reaction from other passengers. Only few laughed and the rest were shy or looked the other way
Image credits: Menja Stevenson
“I couldn’t believe that many people didn’t realize the connection seeing me and the seats together. Did they think that it was sheer coincidence?”
Image credits: Menja Stevenson