FASHION ART TORONTO FW25

FASHION ART TORONTO FW25 OPENED WITH SUBURBAN DEVIANT’S ANGELS AND DEVIANTS RUNWAY, WHICH TURNED WOODSIDE SQUARE’S UNDERGROUND GARAGE INTO A SURREAL SUBURBAN PLAYGROUND OF SCULPTURAL FASHION, LIFE-SIZED TOYS, AND BOLD 2SLGBTQIA+ EXPRESSION. THE DREAMLIKE, CAMP-FILLED SHOWCASE LED INTO ONE OF THE FESTIVAL’S WILDEST OPENING PARTIES, WITH DJS AND LIVE PERFORMANCE. SUBURBAN DEVIANT’S COLLECTION ANGELS AND DEVIANTS RUNWAY RECONTEXTUALIZED EVERYDAY, DISCARDED, AND NOSTALGIC MATERIALS, INCLUDING BIRTHDAY BADGES, BALLET SHOES, RIBBON, FAUX SHRUBBERY, FRAGILE TAPE, DEAD STOCK DENIM, REWORKED TUTUS, AND ANNOTATED SHEET MUSIC. THESE REWORKED ELEMENTS BECAME WEARABLE SCULPTURAL FORMS THAT EXTEND BEYOND THE HUMAN BODY. THE COLLECTION SHOWCASED HOW SUBURBAN DEVIANT’S MATERIAL-FOCUSED PRACTICE TREATS REUSE AND RECONSTRUCTION AS BOTH METHODOLOGY AND AESTHETIC.

SYNTHETIC GRASS: STAGE AND STATEMENT 

“ASTROTURFING” REFERS TO THE PRACTICE OF FABRICATING GRASSROOTS SUPPORT TO LEGITIMIZE A MESSAGE OR MOVEMENT. IN THE CONTEXT OF FASHION, “ASTROTURFING” FUNCTIONS AS A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK FOR EXAMINING THE TENSION BETWEEN AUTHENTICITY AND PERFORMANCE. IT BECOMES A CRITIQUE OF THE INDUSTRY’S TENDENCY TO PRESENT ITSELF AS “ECO-CONSCIOUS” OR “GREEN” WITHOUT MEANINGFULLY TRANSFORMING ITS EXTRACTIVE SYSTEMS. IT IS SUSTAINABILITY AS SPECTACLE AND ETHICS AS AESTHETICS.

THE SYNTHETIC GRASS RUNWAY SUBURBAN DEVIANT PRESENTED AT FASHION ART TORONTO FW25 EXEMPLIFIES THIS DUALITY. AESTHETICALLY, IT IS A PLAYFUL VISUAL, A TONGUE-IN-CHEEK REFERENCE TO THE ARTIFICIAL LAWNS OF ARCHETYPAL SUBURBAN LIFE. METAPHORICALLY, THE RUNWAY BECOMES A CRITICAL DEVICE. IT POINTS DIRECTLY TO THE WAY FASHION FREQUENTLY DEPLOYS ECO-FRIENDLY VOCABULARY, NATURE-ADJACENT VISUALS, AND “GREEN” STORYTELLING WHILE CONTINUING TO RELY ON HARMFUL MODES OF PRODUCTION. THE RUNWAY BECAME A PHYSICAL MANIFESTATION OF THE FASHION INDUSTRY’S CONTRADICTIONS: A LUSH GREEN SURFACE THAT IS SYNTHETIC AT ITS CORE.

BY TURNING ASTROTURFING INTO A TRADITIONAL RUNWAY, SUBURBAN DEVIANT EXPLICITLY FOREGROUNDS THIS TENSION. SUBURBAN DEVIANT ILLUSTRATES A CONFRONTATION WITH THE MANUFACTURED AESTHETICS OF ENVIRONMENTALISM, THE FASHION INDUSTRY’S STRATEGIC USE OF NATURAL SIGNIFIERS TO SIGNAL VIRTUE WHILE MAINTAINING BUSINESS AS USUAL. IN THIS SENSE, “ASTROTURFING” BECOMES A LENS THROUGH WHICH TO QUESTION THE SINCERITY OF SUSTAINABILITY CLAIMS AND THE COMMODIFICATION OF ECOLOGICAL CONCERN. THE SYNTHETIC GRASS RUNWAY BECOMES BOTH A STAGE AND A STATEMENT: A VIBRANT, ARTIFICIAL LAWN THAT MIRRORS THE FASHION INDUSTRY’S TENDENCY TOWARD PERFORMATIVE ENVIRONMENTALISM.

NARRATIVES OF NONCONFORMITY

SUBURBAN DEVIANT ADORNED MODELS WITH BOOKS THAT HONOUR MISFITS, TRAILBLAZERS, AND DIY DESIGNERS, CARRYING THEM AS CELEBRATORY EMBLEMS OF NONCONFORMITY. 

YOU KNOW YOU’RE AT A SUBURBAN DEVIANT SHOW WHEN THE GUESTS ROLL UP RUNWAY READY!