Vengefully Changed Allegiance is a sustainable fashion exhibition created  by Alison Harm at Psychomoda designer made clothing, for Pomegranates festival,  curated by Wendy Timmons and Iliyana Nedkova 

Established in 2022, Pomegranates is Scotland’s annual festival of world traditional dance. Initiated and produced by the Traditional Dance Forum of Scotland and TRACS (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland) in an ongoing partnership with TRACS, Moray House School of Education and Sport, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh City Libraries, Dance Base and the Scottish Storytelling Centre. This year, the festival features artists’ residencies and social dance sessions, exhibitions and tours, shows and workshops, plus the first Pomegranates Family Sunday.

Find out more about Pomegranates festival here: https://linktr.ee/pomegranat

Fashion is cyclic.

Today we might wear clothing and styles from, say, the 1960s, to evoke nostalgia or show our allegiance to a musical, political or cultural theme from the past .

Daniela wears an asymetric hanky skirt, corsetted top and traditional  Scottish Prince Charlie  jacket, made from a combination of vintage silk velvet curtain, sourced remnants and black velvet curtains. Decorated with vintage mis matched buttons 

This is nothing new.

In 1886, a Jacobite revivalist movement began in the UK, with the aim of overthrowing parliament and restoring the  Scottish Stuart line of monarchy.
Sparking a renewed interest in Scottish culture and arts, and powered by a massively popular exhibition of all things Scottish in 1889. Fashion and textiles of the highly romanticised Jacobite era of the previous century became sought after fashion styles, especially tartan, which was developed at that time into the product we now know.  

Daniela wears a bias cut silk backless dress made from a vintage curtain 

Almost a hundred years later, in 1970s England, against a background of political dissent, young people chose a new tribal uniform in the style of Punk Rock, to express their dissatisfaction with the traditional and outdated social and economic constraints, which they felt hindered their life chances and progress.

Josh wears a smoking jacket made from a vintage silk curtain, a shirt made from 2 charity shop sourced shirts trimmed with vintage crochet lace. His  Japenese inspired trousers were made from a pair of 2nd hand trousers combined with a skirt and a tartan remnant. 

Tartan fabric also became part of the symbolism of that cultural movement. Pioneered by Innovative designers, and carried into the street style, with a very ' home made,' and 'make do and mend ' ethos. An anti capitalist statement by the wearer, a fashion that any young person could create and participate in, using found objects such as safety pins and upcycled old clothes. bypassing the elitist fashion industry and making their stand against conservative dogma. Pre dating the fast fashion behemoth of today's culture.

Jodi wears a mini " frankenkilt " made from kilt industry remnants, and a corsetted top made from antique kimono linings.

As a young designer I trained in that environment. All of these concepts have influenced this collection.
The wheel has turned again and sustainability is now the interest of fashion. Young people are once again showing their dissatisfaction with the status quo of the fast fashion industry, which ties people across the world into modern slavery,  and facilitates dangerous climate change with its wasteful and polluting systems. 

Daniela wears a deconstructed frankenkilt made from kilt industry remnants and a jacket made from a surplus sourced remnants  company. Decorated with broken jewellery sourced from a charity shop.The bias cut  Prince Charlie Jacket was inspired from a historical Jacobite piece exhibited at The Museum of Scotland .

The garments I am showing in this collection are made entirely from industry scraps, upcycled textiles, vintage cloth and broken jewellery. Tartan cloth lends itself to the collection as a symbol of dissent. By using repurposed and rescued materials,  I participate in the growing slow fashion movement, which supports my belief that the fashion business must change if we want our planet to improve.

Loveness wears an asymetric hanky skirt made from remnants from the kilt industry and from my own workshop, corsetted top made from the same and decorated with broken jewellery sourced from a charity shop. The  traditional Prince Charlie Jacket is made  from a curtain  sourced from a re sale website .

Tartan is an interesting cloth, it is well known for people to choose a pattern according to their family, or clan name, and not mix and match designs. That is the conservatively held opinion. By mixing it all up together I hope to inspire the viewer to challenge their opinions of who can wear what, and where. Therfore suggest that they can step outside of societal expectations both with their clothing, and in their wider life.

Jodi wears a skirt made from a charity shop sourced remnant, and a corsetted top made from kilt industry remnants and decorated with broken jewellery sourced from a charity shop. 

Josh wears a' Frankenkilt '  and flashes, made from kilt industry remnants, waistcoat made from a vintage silk velvet curtain   accessorised with a vintage  black broderie anglais  shirt by Versace, once owned by Sir Elton John and sourced from a well known vintage re sale site. Traditional  vintage kilt socks from an estate sale . 


The show is called
"Vengefully Changed Allegiance", and it is a Victorian /Jacobite/Punk/Sustainable mash up.

Rebecca wears a mini ' Frankenkilt ' , matching corsetted top, evening wrap , cuffs and choker necklace all made from industry remnants and decorated with broken jewellery sourced from a charity shop.

Exhibition opens 23rd April 2024 at the Scottish Storytelling Centre, on the Royal Mile Edinburgh, and runs for 1 week. 

Sylwia wears a deconstructed 'Frankenkilt ' bridal train made from kilt industry remnants , over a sparkle gold dress made from a remnant sourced from a well known resale site, and jacket made from a curtain remnant decorated with mis matched vintage buttons and surplus military chevrons

Credits

Photos by Amanda Robertson

All photographs copyright Amanda Robertson 

 Facebook, Amanda Jane Photography 

Models and Stylists 

Daniela Margiota.

Instagram @danielamarge

Hair and make up by model 

Jodi Parker,

Instagram @deadlyinnocence

hair by Jodie Beadie for Rock and RoseSalon ,  instagram @jodie_rocknrosehair

make up by Paige Louise  , instagram @vampvixenbeauty

Rebecca Hutchison,

Instagram @rebecca_hutchie

Hair and make up by Angie Stephen 
rubylotsashoes@gmail.com

Sylwia Potrzebowska,

 Instagram @potrzebowskasylwia

Hair and make up by Angie Stephen

rubylotsashoes@gmail.com

Josh Enever

 Hair and make up by Angie Stephen 

rubylotsashoes@gmail.com

Loveness M Stewart.

 Instagram @melanin_beauty_roots

Hair by model, make up by Paige Louise,  , instagram  @vampvixenbeauty 

 Shot on location  at Monkton House , with permission from the owner , Anna Luise Cruikamp. For enquiries about the amazing wedding premises they offer,  look them up on their Facebook page.

Facebook Monkton House 

Assistants , Jenny Mc Bride , Dawn Gillies and Yvonne Smith.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the amazing team, models,  stylists,  photographers,  assistants, videographers, and the house owner Anna, for their time and support with this project.  

Last, but in no means least, special thanks to the Curators from Pomegranates, Iliyana and Wendy   who invited me to  this incredible opportunity, gave me artistic  free reign and offered fantastic support throughout, guiding me through the specifics of creating a mounted exhibition, As well as providing a financial bursary to make it possible.  Their faith in me has been inspirational and affirming. 

For more information about Pomegranates festival and Traditional Dance Forum Scotland,  follow this link.

https://www.facebook.com/TraditionalDanceForumScotland