Urban Reality Collection
1995

Pia MYrvoLD

 

When she launched the Urban Reality (March 1995) and Extensions (October 1995) collections, Myrvold hoped that the fashion world would see that there were alternatives to using exploitative practices. The inexpensive materials showcased in Winter Rose, for example, promoted an appreciation for simple, organic fabrics, which could also be combined with recycled materials and synthetics. The recycling method promoted in In-Formation also carried an environmental message. ‘I let others know that I refused to use cheap labour in Asia, and that I refused to compromise the environment, Myrvold explained. ‘I begged them not to support a process that enables privileged people to rob workers of a dignified life so that they can get richer.’ The Urban Reality Collection was presented inside a construction site in rue Keller, near Bastille. The model would work on planks, and a live drum performance by Erick Borelva provided an urban sound. Innovation in materials involved silkscreen with cement, embroidery with a staple machine, and the use of industrial plastics.