Sunday Scraps #13
A little bit of this and a little bit of that
Another Sunday, another scrap.
This week I went to the Met to see Superfine: Tailoring Black Style which was really beautifully done.
It was genuinely fascinating to see the historical figures I studied in college (I majored in history) through a different lens.
For example, they had a suit jacket, shirt, glasses and a pocket watch belonging to Frederick Douglass. It quoted his writing about his pocket watch, and how when he became a free man one of the first things he wanted to buy was a watch. To him, it wasn’t just an accessory. It was a symbol of freedom. He saw it as proof that his time was finally his own.
Clothing and fashion trends are an often overlooked facet of social history. So much of how we present and express ourselves is through fashion.
I suppose when we hear the word fashion, we think of haute couture or high-street trends. But like music, that thing we immediately think of is a capitalist enterprise built around something deeply human: the need to express ourselves.
It reminded me that the things we wear can carry the weight of history, freedom, and identity.
As an aside, the music and visuals of this exhibition were excellent and I completely lost myself in it for 1.5 hours. It was a bit like being in a sound bath or something.
(I usually find the music in exhibitions incredibly grating as they’re always on a loop that’s too short and very annoying as a result).
Things I’ve Been Overthinking This Week
My new album is in its final stages and there’ll be some stuff out before the end of this year — can you believe it?
With it comes the terror of engaging with Tik Tok.
I’m so comfortable on Substack. I can write all day long and have so much fun doing it. However, I find filming myself a real challenge. I’m never happy with whatever I shoot and as a result I end up settling for whatever I have in a moment of fatigue. I’m committed to actually using and learning about it.
ANY TIPS WELCOME!
I’m cooking up some little ideas that I think will be fun to do. Even though my music is very sadgirl, that’s not my personality so I’m trying to bring a sprinkle of that to the videos. Half sadgirl music / half goofy tidbits.
You can follow me here.
Stuff I’ve Been Staring At/Listening To:
Honestly have a clip from CMAT’s new single on repeat in my head. It’s not out until next week but there’s a shout out to Bertie Ahern era cronyism. Always amazed when an artist manages to politics/history and turn it into a song.
Like, yes, Bertie Ahern taking sneaky little envelopes did effect our whole generation and the country we grew up in is full of empty houses and ghost estates. But also this is catchy as hell.
I also finished The Ultimatum and broke the choke hold it had on my life.
Quote/Lyric of the Week:
I’d imagine this’ll be the same next week.
CMAT’s upcoming single Euro-Country:
All the big boys
All the Berties
All the envelopes
Yeah they hurt me.
I was twelve when the das started killing themselves all around me