ABSTRACT


General Contracting aims to prove the importance of storytelling and research as key elements to creating content whose value isn't defined solely by the way it’s consumed, but rather through encouraging mental enrichment and empathetic understanding. These ideals and practices are validated in the work of Matthew B. Crawford of The World Beyond Your Head: On Becoming an Individual in the Age of Distraction. The current climate of the apparel industry is driven by profit and makes copies for quick turn around without an understanding of the content used. As a result, large retailers like Macy’s or The Gap struggle to keep consumers engaged. By challenging these traits of the industry, General Contracting explores an alternative route to creating content.

In a time of separation in the political and social climate there is a need to create conversation between groups with differing viewpoints. In creating common ground, new opportunities arise to connect and gain new perspectives.

The First iteration of General Contracting explores the American Midwest through first hand experience. Each object produced is made of materials originally intended for a singular purpose. The range of used items comes from two primary sources. Working directly with the largest workwear uniform outfitter in the United States, Cintas, provided
discarded apparel. Additional objects were collected through having grown up in and actively living within Midwest culture, a practice both personal and observational. Each resulting object of the practice is defined by the pieces that make it up. The intent of each new creation is to add self-expression to the preexisting utility of the original garments. In doing so, the first iteration of General Contracting seeks to engage two parties, those who view and use clothing as a tool to get work done and those who view clothing as a tool to reflect their thoughts and identity. In practice, General Contracting illustrates that both mindsets exist in every individual, reducing the perceived divide in culture. A similar conclusion is drawn in These aren’t the same pants your grandfather wore! The evolution of branding cargo pants in the 21st century mass fashion, a dissertation by Joseph Hancock, which explores the cultural phenomenon of cargo pants transcending time and culture.

Others have come to explore not only similar subject matter aimed at bridging gaps in culture, but also pursue a process that defines the end result. Vetements Spring 2017 collection in collaboration with 18 different brands tapped into each unique specialty of the partner brands. Similarly, New York based designer Heron Preston worked with the New York Department of Sanitation on a project called UNIFORM that has gained relevance in the fashion industry using repurposed garments. Last, Marshall McLuhan and Quentin Fiore in The Medium is the Massage explore the importance of process informing result. Within, they explain the use of restraint to drive creativity while also illustrating the relationships people form to the objects they consume.

The first iteration of General Contracting is rooted in a personal connection to the Midwest and a study of its culture. In doing so, the project connects individuals who may feel like strangers in the Midwest and those who feel at home. In the future, General Contracting seeks to continue to explore the importance of the creative process and its power to tell stories and create powerful results.

WORKS CITED


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Hand made Norris Lake, Tennessee red clay.

Digging red mud out from the shore of Norris Lake, a reservoir in Tennessee and working it into a cone 04 firing body. Step by step transforming the clay by soaking, mixing, sifting, drying, and kneading. Developing a concept for the final collection of pots to compliment the natural beauty of the clay paired with the hand built uniqueness.

Giving objects humanized form while looking at shapes of the human body as an object. The contradiction of objects as bodies and bodies as objects. Project in tandem to learning heat press textile printing with experiments on fabric.

6 Centre Market Place, New York, NY 10013

When a brand has a repertoire it doesn’t need a name to identify with, simply a number will do. Founded in 2005 in NYC, vintage collector Morgan Yakus and stylist Karin Bereson put their ideas together to bring them to new life with a vision that has proven to work. Selecting a collection of vintage pieces and mixing in current designers to it’s acclimated brand image of vintage effortless that lends itself to their personally designed pieces along with collections of clogs and clog boots that has propelled their success.

Blink-and-you-miss-it, No. 6 is known for their cultish clog following, balanced with vintage pieces, custom designed, and designer brands. This curated selection of clothing and accessories always has something new to offer.

The clogs are all handmade with natural wood bases and are extremely light and comfortable. There is almost no waste in the production process: every scrap of leather is used.

As No. 6 continues to grow their most recent expansion is with in-house clothing design. When you are known for one thing so well expansion needs to be a very closely guarded process. Within the realm of clothing No. 6 must curate an identity for themselves and give their customers a distinct point of view through their designs.

Market Competition: Assembly New York

Exhibiting designers from around the world including men, women, and accessories. Assembly New York is designed and constructed in the city; keen on it’s quiet authority with underrated personality details. This intelligently crafted line of clothing and well developed storefront collection of brands holds and identity true to it’s own.

Market Competition: Maryam Nassir Zadeh

Namesake boutique and showroom, Maryam Nassir Zadeh, is known for impeccably collecting the best indie designers. Her own line reflects much of herself with artful ease and a timelessly modern feel. The boutique carries a vast selection of designer clothing, accessories, and small goods, including in-house designs.

Meet Lou

As a mother, artist, and Brooklyn native staying resilient is what Lou does best. Her husband owns his own woodworking studio built just below their brownstone. She has her own space upstairs for personal studio work when she’s not working part-time at her children’s montisory school. When she needs to be inspired for a new project driving upstate to their cabin is a quick trip. If it’s retail therapy, she’s headed straight to No. 6 for something new. Integrated with a lifestyle that thrives in adaptability, ease, comfort, and ingenuity, Lou is always ready to take on whatever the day brings. Her family is her life, her job is her hobby, and art is her passion.

No. 6 Signature collection

Inspired by the brand’s core values of environmentally conscious and vintage inspired design. This trademark aesthetic is elevated with the lifestyle of the wearer in mind, creating adaptable clothing while nodding to the hand craftsmanship of the cultish No. 6 Clog.

Blended Backgrounds

A photo series and study in National Geographic show the growing amalgamated mega-race we will live in by the year 2050. Every photograph is of an actual American living today showing the widespread of races like Blackanese, Filatino, Chicanese, or Korgentinian. Family, cultural and geographical surroundings influence our decision to identify with a particular race, but there is no clear definition of race itself: “It has no basis in biology, yet its constructions, functions and mythologies irrevocably shape the world as we know it.” Appreciating the heritage of where we have come from and where we are going together; continuing to blend the boundaries what it means to be an individual.

Choice Identity

The changes and adaptations in American race and equality is more prevalent than ever. Endless stories of people working towards fairness and respect for their beliefs, morals, background and all the things that have influenced them to become who they are. NPR focuses in on a specific story on trans-gender teen, Leelah Alcorn, committing suicide because she felt ashamed to be a part of the world she was living in. With parents unaccepting of her sexual identity there was no safe space in her everyday. The build-up of small events in everyday has the potential to cause a serious impact.

Heightening the mundane

Looking back and appreciating where you have been and how far we have come. Mundane isn’t about dullness, it is your run-of-the-mill everyday. As these moments in our life past by we may not take the time to notice. When looking back it is those typically overlooked elements of life shaping us into unique individuals. Sometimes it is the simplest of life’s experiences that bring the most pleasure.

From family vacations to exhausting days filled with adventure it’s our memories that shape each day and influence the next. Stepping back and looking at every part of life and the places it takes us. Buying your first car or watching your favorite television show; how we choose to spend our time when we are not aware that we are spending time doing anything at all has more of an impact than we might like to acknowledge.

Jasmine Deporta

Using the subject matter and surroundings as equally important features. It is the balance and necessity of all parts that make up a whole. There is a stark realness and unrefined authenticity.

William Miller

Ruined Polaroids are the result of traveling with a broken Polaroid camera. These beautifully distorted images could have a subject matter of anything, but the distinction comes naturally from the apparent imperfections.

Visual cues influencing the silhouette design. Feelings and emotions of comfort and ease add to the over-arching mood. There is a softness echoed in the fabrications and textures. Using these intuitions the idea of family ties is in the layering, wrapping, and effortless intentions.

Color direction including hues and shades across a nostalgic memory. Rust, wine stains, ink, antiques, the world's most comfy sofa you had to throw out, creamsicles, mustard and expiration dates.

Print design motifs of cattail and tall grass growing in the fields along mossy ponds. Memories of fishing for bass and blue gill while pretending to roast cat tails as hot dogs above what's left of a smokey fire from the night before.

Fabrication with a focus on comfort and natural fibers. Fine knits and earthy silks, classic fiber wools and cottons of varying weights bring an array of options for texture and layering.

No. 6 Signature Collection

The Kelly Set

Photographer Pat Dierker and Model Niyah Jackson

On March 27, 2015 Style.com introduced the No. 6 Fall 2015 Collection. With a more distinct direction and a point of view that speaks for itself it is assured that No. 6 has taken the time to create a collection that speaks directly to the brand’s identity. With the conclusion of the Fall 2016 Signature Collection it is clear that there is alignment within this resemblance of the brand’s identity. There are similar feelings of a vintage core aesthetic and as Style.com put it, “equally versatile and undeniably cool.”

This tailored jacket and pant system were created by the mending of traditional and modern garment construction methods. The jacket body is mostly constructed by hand through traditional tailoring techniques while the details are built with Sew Free adhesives from Bemis.

The Balancing Act


In the age of technology we have gone from usefulness to a state of dependency. People are no longer just using their cell phones for direct communication, but for social media, maps, music, email, shopping, networking, researching, entertainment, and banking. The value of face to face communication is getting lost to people texting, commenting on photos, or tweeting to someone across the room. It's a loss of let's meet up to let's Skype/ Facetime.

The other extreme is people who are isolating themselves completely from all technology and types of social media, also known as a digital fast. This occurs when someone chooses to eliminate the use of technology from their lives for any certain amount of time to help break a tech addiction or regain balance in their life. The first step to fixing any problem is acknowledgment. Using social media is an important aspect of everyone's life and a viable way to connect, but when does the connection turn into a distraction?

Digital Diet


According to Business Insider we have become a culture that values attention above all else and the quality of work we produce each day is lacking as a direct result of tech addiction. People noticing this negative affect are re-initiating a shift away from technology as the world around them is heightening in the age of relentless self promotion. There are the "invisibles" or those stepping back from social media, using this isolation for working towards self satisfaction and for a job well done rather than a pat on the back, concentrating on self control and self discipline. As we step away from technology we can discover new ways to benefit our work rather than distract us from it.

The Huffington Post shares one woman's blog experience describing digital deprivation and how her mini digital fast helped her focus on how much technology is needed in her life. It is an interesting look at how technology rules our lives and how we can learn to manage it. When taking these digital diets people tend to fear isolation and a dizzying suspension in an unwired world without instant communication. Instead they find freedom, balance, and a way for technology to become a manageable role in their lives, improving rather than cluttering.

Divided Attention


Humans sleep right next to them, check them periodically throughout the night, and are woken up regularly to answer them. The smart phone: society's new partner. According to News In Health and Business Insider, society's obsession with social technology is stealing their sleep and memories. Sleep is crucial for strengthening and banking memories. It is the refresher the mind needs to problem solve, organize, and articulate information. Lack of dreaming and daydreaming is hindering human creativity and memory.

Boredom no longer has a bad stigma. According to WNYC, technology is eliminating boredom from our lives, a direct way at denying us the chance for our minds to wander and reflect. Research has found that an idle mind can be the trigger to our most creative times. Society's addiction to technology is fueled by social media, which gives people a way to constantly stay connected, distracted, and stimulated. The future of society is headed toward a less creative, more forgetful and disconnected state of being.

Phantom Acquaintance


It is no secret that the lives of young people are consumed by the instant gratification of technology. NPR and The New York Times have both taken notice at how much technology has not only shown how this generation does not acknowledge the seriousness of tech addiction, but how much technology has changed the way they interact with others. The short film "I Forgot My iPhone" is a peek into what technology addiction has done and how it goes unnoticed. "We are all just alone with out smartphones, even when we're surrounded by other humans."

The issue with portable technology is that it allows the freedom for people to be connected anywhere at anytime. This creates an indirect public sense that maybe someone is not where they want to be or want to be doing in the present. When people are not psychologically present in public, those around them don't know what to expect as social cues are shifted in the virtual world. This disconnect between real world and digital world creates a confusing state of mind that says I am here, but not really. People are then left in a world of electronic phantoms, partly in and out of real social settings.

With a majority of communication being read via email, text messaging, blogs, websites, and other technology-enabled media, the potential for misinterpretation is growing. When did a short response become synonymous for a passive aggressive reply? It's becoming easier to express our emotions using emojis rather than words, but are these our feelings or are we falsely identifying our emotions? Often rushed and stressed, people do not consider the nuances of their writing leaving one to draw conclusions on little information. Conflicts arise when assumptions are made through this non-personal form of communication.

When Tinder launched in August 2012 it quickly became the fastest and easiest way to meet new people. Logging in through Facebook gave people an immediate sense of security and validation of authenticity. With twenty-six million matches per day, Tinder is one of the most successful apps on the market. Though there are countless success stories and relationships formed Tinder stands with a reputation for curating a meeting point for the young hook up culture.

Introducing a new and more convenient way to connect, Tinder Plus is a premium addition to the Tinder experience. By paying a small monthly fee, not only will it be adding value for people who are looking to form relationships, but users will be upgraded to new perks like passport and rewind.

With the introduction of Tinder Plus we see the opportunity for Tinder to become an interactive and in person experience. Tinder will become the stepping stone to making real connections with real people. By spending time away from the app and being a part of the Tinder experience, users will be able to physically interact with others who are looking for new friendships that could potentially form relationships.