“An exploration into the historical use of hunting culture within Britain as a means of solidifying Aristocratic power through macabre tradition.”

This collection is intended as a continuation of the themes explored in my project “morbid curiosity” which focused on humanity’s obsession with the grotesque and the anatomical exploration of the macabre through hunting and dissection - shifting focus from the hunted to the hunter.

For centuries, the British aristocracy have used hunting as a tool to display power and solidify class divides. Over the years, the wealthy have taken what was before seen as an activity breed from necessity, into an unnecessary and elaborate display of outdated tradition. This cling to tradition, and the power it conveys, is most prevalently seen in the early 1900’s with the accessibility of photography and other medias highlighting the lavish lifestyles of the upper class, bred from colonialism, on hunting parties in south Asia and Africa, with the killing of “big game” in these locations being seen as the height of power and extravagance. However, one thing I noticed about many of these hunting parties was the absence of these upper class individuals when it came to the preparation of the animals after the morbid grandeur of the event had surpassed, the skinning and deconstruction of the carcass would be removed from view of the individual who carried out the killing. Rather, they would simply shoot the animal, take a photograph, return to their manors and palaces upon which the beast would be displayed in the form of taxidermy, both on the wall and in the centre of elaborate dinning settings. It’s this removal and naivety of the realities of these archaic “traditions” as a means of retaining the dwindling generationally acquired power that I really wanted to centralise my research and development on.

My initial development took inspiration from Denis Villeneuve’s short film “next Floor”, capturing the greed and grotesque power of many of the aristocracy; imagery of decay, outdated forms of glamour from the turn of the century and morbid platters of raw and preserved animals, both traditional and exotic, stuck out to me as key signifiers of this attachment to tradition and prestige. After this initial research, I found myself infatuated with the specific clothing associated with hunting culture from Edwardian Britain to modern day, analysing the different interpretations of outdoor wear from formal hunting jackets and apron skirts of the early 1900’s, to loose waterproofs and removable legs of tactical trousers associated with modern day practicality. It was important for me to explore this evolution and and societal shift of practicality; as well as what is, and what was, considered appropriate attire for hunting as well as other broad interpretations of outdoor wear. This idea of the clothing developing and adapting continually thanks to societies advancements culturally and technologically, while the activity it is being used for remaining stagnant is something I wanted to directly combat, and abstract through merging silhouette, functionality and ideals of past and present interpretations of formality and practicality in an outdoor setting, specifically that of a hunting party. This exploration resulted in a collection of convertible and transformable pieces with the dichotomy between formal and practical being at the forefront of my design.

My final source of inspiration came when considering how this gradual loss of power has affected the traditionally ostentatious lives of the aristocracy. With this loss of power over the last century specifically, it is commonly known that the generational wealth and assets passed down from parent to child, and subsequent expectation of old money austerity, have gradually broken down and decayed as a result of neglect and inability to retain the upkeep necessary to sustain these now outdated lifestyles. Which of course, has become physically evident in the erosion and decomposition of not only their stately homes, but also expensive and exclusive textile. Exotic fur, leather and tweeds have been lost to time and neglect, these pieces that were once symbols of wealth and glamour at the turn of the century have now lost their perceived perfection, and as a result are seen as useless to the upper classes, with this ideal of perfection being the key principle of these traditionally upper class lives which, ironically, are the quickest features of these lifestyles to dissipate over time. To convey this ideal of decay and imperfection, I looked into the preservation techniques of ancient textile, such as the “Tarkhan Dress” on display at the UCL Petrie museum, this research led me to employing the techniques of using and replicating degrading and faux animal textiles, such as exotic leather and hide, as a means of subverting the expectations and perfection associated with the original use of these macabre textiles and referencing their historical resonance, in a modern world.