Cavaliers P.P

The Cavalier’s Party is a project inspired by the 1980’s Liverpool Scooter scene. Scouse scooter club turned political party; The Cavaliers are at the centre of my collection. A party that ran throughout the Eighties as an alternative to Thatcherism, the Cavaliers have resurged to offer modern Britain a true left-wing opposition to the country’s current state. This idea of a group of true individuals attempting to change our society for the better fuelled me with determination to create a collection as bold and daring as them. Through this political lense I have been experimenting with styles that were popular within the original scooter scene and modernising these elements to create a fresh look that blends both old and new. Coming away from the stereotype that the only counterculture to ride scooters were the mods, I wanted to demonstrate within my work that Scooter clubs were actually made up of a various range of subcultures; punks, psychobilly’s, scooterboys, and yes, the mods. I aimed to blend key elements from these various cultures into one cohesive collection to demonstrate the solidarity of the working classes, no matter their differences they come together to make change. Considering the techniques of countercultural fashion led me into learning how to screen print, I believe that it was an effective way to tie in the political messages that ran throughout the concept. Furthermore, I began to experiment with draping. Beginning with a pattern and then taking it to the stand to see the ways in which I could alter it to best suit my vision has worked well for me over this project. Moving my pieces constantly back and forth not just relying on either the draping technique or flat pattern cutting, but both, enabled me to create this textured look, with each piece becoming uniquely its own. Many of the working-class people who formed these sub cultures simply aimed to achieve one thing, escapism and a their own identity, I hope my pieces have captured that.