Panel Discussion with artists and designers Fecal Matter (Matieres Fecales) moderated by Marie Genevieve Cyr, Assistant Professor of Fashion Design.
The intangible space of the internet has propelled the most significant cultural shift of the twenty-first century producing, consequently, viral fashion imagery becoming treasured design objects. Through general translation and recontextualization, the design process is now a spirally negotiated interaction between artists, designers, manufacturers and customers; creating a digital vortex.The artistic use of the internet as a mass medium and the translation of its content into physical space is a constant game of experimentations between online and offline
Fecal Matter is a collective founded by the designers, musicians, models, photographers, performers, directors, and activists Hannah Rose Dalton and Steven Raj Bhaskaran. The two have created a dark, provocative fantasy world that encourages people to freely question gender norms, challenge conventional notions about what it means to be human, and celebrate their creativity. Dalton and Bhaskaran express their worldview not only through their subversive aesthetic but also in the production, promotion, and distribution of their goods.
About Fecal Matter:
Fecal Matter is a multi-disciplinary brand created in order to express uncensored ideas. The Fecal Matter world presents an alternative to restrictive beauty standards and offers experiences and products that connect fashion, film, politics, performance, music and everything that is forbidden in order to promote critical thinking.
The duo behind the brand, Steven Raj (Sri Lankan and Guyanese) and Hannah Rose (originally from Auckland, New Zealand), bonded over their passion for change and freedom of expression when they met at Lasalle College in Montreal, Canada. Established in January 2016, the intention behind the brand name comes from their interpretation of the cycle of consumption and how valueless the material world can be. They use social media as a platform to visually share their unique vision of beauty and reality. The duo has been praised for their 360 degree work process as they create all aspects of their work including photography, hair, makeup, clothing, modelling and editing.
Since their debut, they have worked heavily with photographer Nick Knight, including presenting their SS18 collection with SHOWstudio in London. And more recently, they have presented their SS19 collection titled “Non-Human” in London where they debuted the Skin Heels which went viral.
Through press coverage from Vogue USA, Vogue Italia, The New York Times, BOF, I-D Magazine, Dazed, CTV and much more, their message challenges the international fashion landscape of today on an international scale.
Also balancing a music career, the duo performs in New York, Paris, Montreal, Berlin and London. Most importantly, their work has transformed into a lifestyle that is been adopted by their cult following of more than half a million followers around the world. Driven by provoking humanity's codes of normality, the Fecal Matter world can set a human free from censorship.
