Semiotic Analysis Of It's A Jungle Out There By Mcqueen
Semiotic analysis
McQueen
Within McQueen’s 1997’s A/W collection, It’s a Jungle Out There he based his design work on the Thomson’s gazelle, found in East Africa. The collection used many animal skins, and featured this brown fur jacket with horns protruding from the shoulders. McQueen used this to symbolize the relationship between animals and humans. With this jacket McQueen uses the horns as a signifier signifying power, freedom as well as survival
Using this on female models signified power and strength thus giving them empowerment, which was one of his signifiers. With usage of the fierce makeup techniques, the female form appears formidable and mighty. The symbolism of the horns used suggests power and the ability to defend
them selves just as the Gazelle’s do with predators and when courting, while the leather symbolises resilience. McQueen strategically places the horns on the shoulders of the jacket, creating a broader silhouette on the female forming an androgynous profile. This then links to the stereotypical social structure, in which males dominate. The exaggerated shoulders appear to symbolise the limbs of the gazelle reinforcing the animalistic features within the design of the garment forming the beginning of the human-animal hybrid. McQueen believed that like a Gazelle, humans are doomed in life and are destined to die at the hands of their predators. Just like a gazelle will be hunted and destroyed, a human will be forgotten and lost if they do not fight for their survival is society and continue to be remarked and discerned. It is ironic that although animals are usually seen as a inferior existence in rank to humans, McQueen uses them to portray strength and power. Here the roles are reversed and humans are relying on these beasts to represent their enablement signifying an exchange of power. Having said this, McQueen, with the animal symbolism, signified freedom. A freedom of expression and identity as an individual, as apposed to conforming.
Suzaan Heyns
McQueen however was not the only designer to used horns as imagery and symbols within his collection to represent society through fashion. South African born designer Suzaan Hayns also used this symbolism in her newly opened store in Melrose Arch. Suzaan admits to gathering her influences from her travels and exposure to the natural. Heynes replaced the heads of her mannequin’s in her Melrose arch store with those of reindeer’s. Her intention of this was to create a fantasy within her store.
The signifier identified is a female form with a reindeer head thus creating the “hybrid”. This signifies the fantasy that Suzaan intends to create. The female form is positioned in such a manner in which to present a ladylike heir of grace to the mannequin. This demure stance is juxtaposed by the use of the reindeer head. This signifies raw animal instinct. The animal instinct in this context (Store setting) is directly related to the carnal desire in relation to consumption. It signifies that consumers should be able to give into this desire for fashion as an animal would towards their instinct. This image emphasises human restraint opposed to animal impulse. This correlates with Roland bathes semiotic theory that links to stories and myth. He argued that there is an agenda behind communication and that agenda is ideology. The idea that the myth is a misrepresentation and has to do with covering something up and what is really going on.
Inanimate and animate models and animals
McQueen
Within McQueen’s 1997’s A/W collection, It’s a Jungle Out There he based his design work on the Thomson’s gazelle, found in East Africa. The collection used many animal skins, and featured this brown fur jacket with horns protruding from the shoulders. McQueen used this to symbolize the relationship between animals and humans. With this jacket McQueen uses the horns as a signifier signifying power, freedom as well as survival
Using this on female models signified power and strength thus giving them empowerment, which was one of his signifiers. With usage of the fierce makeup techniques, the female form appears formidable and mighty. The symbolism of the horns used suggests power and the ability to defend
them selves just as the Gazelle’s do with predators and when courting, while the leather symbolises resilience. McQueen strategically places the horns on the shoulders of the jacket, creating a broader silhouette on the female forming an androgynous profile. This then links to the stereotypical social structure, in which males dominate. The exaggerated shoulders appear to symbolise the limbs of the gazelle reinforcing the animalistic features within the design of the garment forming the beginning of the human-animal hybrid. McQueen believed that like a Gazelle, humans are doomed in life and are destined to die at the hands of their predators. Just like a gazelle will be hunted and destroyed, a human will be forgotten and lost if they do not fight for their survival is society and continue to be remarked and discerned. It is ironic that although animals are usually seen as a inferior existence in rank to humans, McQueen uses them to portray strength and power. Here the roles are reversed and humans are relying on these beasts to represent their enablement signifying an exchange of power. Having said this, McQueen, with the animal symbolism, signified freedom. A freedom of expression and identity as an individual, as apposed to conforming.
Suzaan Heyns
McQueen however was not the only designer to used horns as imagery and symbols within his collection to represent society through fashion. South African born designer Suzaan Hayns also used this symbolism in her newly opened store in Melrose Arch. Suzaan admits to gathering her influences from her travels and exposure to the natural. Heynes replaced the heads of her mannequin’s in her Melrose arch store with those of reindeer’s. Her intention of this was to create a fantasy within her store.
The signifier identified is a female form with a reindeer head thus creating the “hybrid”. This signifies the fantasy that Suzaan intends to create. The female form is positioned in such a manner in which to present a ladylike heir of grace to the mannequin. This demure stance is juxtaposed by the use of the reindeer head. This signifies raw animal instinct. The animal instinct in this context (Store setting) is directly related to the carnal desire in relation to consumption. It signifies that consumers should be able to give into this desire for fashion as an animal would towards their instinct. This image emphasises human restraint opposed to animal impulse. This correlates with Roland bathes semiotic theory that links to stories and myth. He argued that there is an agenda behind communication and that agenda is ideology. The idea that the myth is a misrepresentation and has to do with covering something up and what is really going on.
Inanimate and animate models and animals