Saturday, October 10, 2009

Designer Theorists


A friend was recently at a workshop about Antonio Gramsci (don't ask, don't tell) and a pretentious nerd took theory head name-dropping to a new level, citing D & G. As the friend noted, the queer folks in the room immediately said Dolce & Gabbana? It turns out that the name dropping nerd meant DELEUZE & GUATTARI of rhizome fame. We were in hysterics when she recounted this, and I wondered: what would happen if the Italian fashionistas made a collection inspired by Deleuze & Guattari, how awesome could that be? Imagine them explaining in their Italian accents "It's about Deleuze & Guattari. The fabrication is very deconstructed and rhizomatic. The pieces can be worn from the top, bottom, or sides. And the pattern story is all about the rhizome." Hysterical. I would die to be at the next Gathering of Nerds (the College Art Association Conference; see my posts earlier with this title as well as Testing the Waters) and see the black clad masses in their rhizome print outfits.