Beauty in "Amoebach"

Beauty in Amoebach. Now men want to be courageous, but not marshmallows. Women no longer need protection, but prefer to play self -defense. Therefore, camouflage is the main theme of the season, but not traditional, military, but bright and bohemian. How to disguise yourself so that everyone is noticed - the New Times found out

A camouflage tie, a butterfly tie in protective “amoebas”, boots, sneakers, socks, watches, shirts, bags, even jackets of a classic cut. This is what we see so far in the most desperate dudes that go around the world for weeks of high fashion. But this trend is increasingly actively appearing in the collections of PROT-A-port and in mass brands.

Here, you say, they surprised - the fashion for camouflage! In Russia, shops with military clothing are like a puddle after rain. We have such fashionistas around, the whole society is militarized. The majority in Russian military uniforms are like a deliberately ugly, uncomfortable, heavy and poor -quality. Style - a caper cap, a bomber jacket or Alaska of army origin, pants are tucked into boots. And the faces, I must admit, are not too friendly. What makes you dress in military uniforms in peace in peacetime? Probably not an withdrawn nostalgia for the latest wars - from Afghanistan to Chechnya, and the desire to seem as strong and decisive as in a peaceful life as in war, although you have long ago a beer abdomen, and except as a guard in a third -rate Chop, and did not become anyway.

That's why many who are younger, for military uniform. They, these many, perceive camouflage carefully. For them, this is still a privilege of uncles from the metro, which has a sweater under a military jacket, which smelled of wobble and later, and on the face - the front -line expression "life failed."

But the meaning of fashion is in order to take something ordinary, to see in this beauty and so redo that beauty becomes obvious to everyone.

Hide the technique ... The use of disguise for military purposes is old as the world. But people felt a really sharp need for camouflage during the First World War. For two reasons. Firstly, aerial photography appeared. Secondly, all, especially the British, were frightened by German submarines, which struck the ship behind the ship with their torpedoes. It was then that the military for the first time thought about how to make important objects on land and at sea inconspicuous. There was no question of camouflage of personnel: after all, at the beginning of the 20th century, thanks to the British, the army dressed in khaki, and this was already considered an achievement.

And then the book of the American artist Ebbot Tayer “Color in the Animal World” published shortly before the war came in handy. On its basis, a theory of scientific mimicry was created, and already on this platform they developed the principles of military camouflage.

The French were the most active. On August 14, 1915, the Commander -in -Chief of the French Army, General Joffre, organized a special department in the Camoufleurs at the General Staff, which was set to “staging and hiding” (Simuler et Dissimuler). Joffr entrusted the artists to solve such a specific problem. Under the control of the impressionist Lucien-Victor, Hermeen de Giwola in Paris and several more cities, an atelier for the development and sewing of camouflage were opened. Moreover, production began with the manufacture of camouflaged steel trees, which were used as portable observation tower. By 1918, more than 9 thousand people were involved in production, who produced 7 million square meters in total. M Camouflage mesh. It is symbolic that the collar sign of the unit was made in the form of a chameleon.

At the same time, studies about animal disguise were inspired by cubists to create a unique type of camouflage DAZZLE (translated from English means “turmoil”). Like French camouflage, it was intended only for military equipment. The English artist Norman Wilkinson came up with a coloring to paint the ships "under the zebra." A large black and white strip was supposed to confuse the enemy and create the illusion that in the visibility zone there is not one single ship, but a pile of strange objects. By the way, now Dazzle is used only in fashion-black and white graphics in the style of cubism inspires designers.

Video Madonna "American Life" - about the war in Iraq
... and save the soldiers to protect not only the equipment, but the artists thought only closer to the Second World War. In 1939, the wonderful French artist and inventor of Russian origin, Vladimir Baranov-Rossine, was the first to patent a spotted military uniform-“pointeric dynamic camouflage”. The novelty came in handy. Camouflage for personnel in the new war used almost all kinds of troops. So very quickly a camouflage form of various colors appeared (taking into account the geographical features of the place of the alleged battle), including white maskhalats for winter. Soviet snipers, sappers, scouts and saboteurs only in the middle of the Great Patriotic War received a new form with uneven spots in the form of an amoeba of brown or black color against the background of the color of khaki or green. In 1944, they also added camouflage suits of light green color with a dirty gray pattern that imitates the leaves.

After the war, the need for camouflage decreased sharply. But with the beginning of hostilities in Southeast Asia in the 1950s, camouflage “blossomed” again: during the Vietnam War, the Americans sewed as many as 43 varieties of camouflage-for all cases: jungle, autumn, desert, forest and so on.

Of course, powerful radars and infrared optics have almost nullified the advantages of camouflage. But modern camuflers do not stand still. In 1984, they came up with a “digital” camouflage: the drawing on a soldier's form became like a pixel configuration on the monitor screen. And one of the last inventions is the application of a special mesh to the fabric, which reduces thermal radiation and makes the target less vulnerable.

Side effect

Tommy Hilfiger collection. Spring 2012

Cocoofing came to civilian clothes for the first time in the late 1960s-as a civil protest against wars. Indeed, everything affects fashion, it is just a side effect of what society is experiencing. So camouflage in fashion and remained - an eternal attribute of protest. True, for a long time poor, but proud modes use army clothes with joy - the benefit of the Americans make it perfectly. But if earlier the Militari style was a sign of at all informals, Autsiders rebels, whose heroes are James Dean and Robert de Niro in the Taxist, then since 2001 everything has become more complicated.

The terrible tragedy of September 11, oddly enough and at first glance cynically, will sound, Manhattan shook. And he was militarized: camouflage pants, jackets and other attributes were used. This, on the one hand, is the desire to show your strength, and on the other, subconsciously hide, merge with the background.

In 2003, Madonna recorded American Life, where she appeared in shape - and the camouflage trend shattered around the world. Thanks to this singer, even silicone mukly

* * Mules are called girls with silicone faces by analogy with an elite doll on manual hinges. They decided that they were strong women, and, not understanding the context, they wished camouflage clothes, but certainly with rhinestones, with glass and in a flower. What they ruined the trend, because after all this vulgarity it was a shame to even think about the militarians.

Fashion Week in Tbilisi, showing the faces of Aladashvili

But suddenly in 2011/2012 camouflage was reanimated. Probably because our world is still unsafe, and we live every day in war with all these revolutions in the Middle East and the endless economic crisis. Men under the younger forty suddenly realized that it was no longer relevant to be eternal teenagers, that they have adult problems, and wanted to meet their new beliefs. They put on costumes. And they remembered the brands that their fathers were hunting. The strong floor drew attention to camouflage, which has long become the equivalent of hidden aggression. But, fortunately, a man of a new model does not want to be aggressive - he is not going to look like in all seriousness, but ironizes himself. He chooses a cheerful camouflage-in pink, orange and bright green amoebas. Or wears the butterfly half the militari, half pink in stripes.

In rose petals

Militari style is now worn in combination with other prints, from cage to cucumbers. Popular options such as camouflage jacket and ethnic -style scarf, camouflage trousers with a bright cage shirt, cargo trousers (with ties below) with a classic jacket. A new topic is camouflage with camouflage, only in different equipment - for example, under a tiger and forest. The girls began to combine camouflage with a leopard - best of all point colors.

But conservatives can leave camouflage for accessories - a scarf in the jacket pocket, bag, case for iPad looks very stylish.

There are infinitely many options for the template. For example, the Japanese Nitraid released the camouflage of the marijuana coloring: they dilute the classic version with a pattern of peas, daisies, poppies and other colors. Very symbolic, if you think. Children of flowers and war.

Fashion is our Woodstock

* The famous rock festival in 1969 in the United States, which marked the sunset of the hippie movement. , even if it seems that you are not a hipster, then, excuse me, you are him. We live in a society of the total helplessness of man before the world evil, and most importantly, we have lost hope of peace and justice around the world, no matter how loud it sounds. When there are no ideals, a person turns to things - after all, they, as Brodsky wrote, “more pleasant” people.

All that remains for us is to play with reality, to draw trousers, bags and scarves out of it. Camouflage in rose petals is our modern protest, desperate and sarcastic. Everything that we have left of the desire to change the world.

Natalia Frolova took part in the preparation of the material