Fields of Fashion Exhibition
The sights/site of Badminton Horse Trials
This exhibition considers rural fashion1 in context. It looks at the spectacle of Badminton Horse Trials2 , which includes far more than just equestrian eventing. Eventing, perhaps somewhat surprisingly, is now closely associated with retailing. The 'pop-up'3 shopping village, comprising 300-plus rural lifestyle4 traders and clothing stalls, is as much a part of the Badminton experience as the horses themselves. The competitive aspect of the horse trial is mirrored within the competitive5 nature of the temporary on-site shopping village. To be a winner or loser at Badminton can refer to more than just the names on the leader board. A visitor to the event can take on different roles (at the same time or in quick succession) as bargain hunter, browser, souvenir-purchaser, spectator, rider and/or buyer of tack and specialist equine equipment.
Along with the actual clothing6 being worn, exhibited, traded and consumed, these images explore the broader geographical and sociological context7 of Badminton. Taking place each year, usually between mid-April and early May, the show runs for five days with the competitive events taking place over three days8 . In recent years, up to a quarter of a million visitor-spectators9 attend the cross-country day10 alone. The site11 and sights12 of Badminton bring with them associations of Britishness, class privilege13 and the rural idyll14 . Simultaneously, however, they are internationally celebrated, embrace elements of the carnivalesque15 and mix up the clear cut rural-urban divide16 . This exhibition offers a view of Badminton that invites a fresh take on our understanding of fashion in, and of, the rural.
Note
The images featured in this exhibition are held in the Fields of Fashion research archive and were generated during fieldwork at Badminton Horse Trials, May 2009.
Select images are reproduced here with permissions from SAGE Publications Ltd., ©Alison L Goodrum and Kevin J Hunt, forthcoming in Journal of Visual Communication .
All other images, text and exhibition content ©Nottingham Trent University/Fields of Fashion.
For further details regarding copyright, ownership of images and their reproduction, please contact the exhibition curators.
Footnotes
1. Rural Fashion
In everyday parlance, the term 'fashion' is used liberally, being applied to many different forms of clothing. In more formal academic studies, this term needs to be used with care because clear distinctions are made between clothing that is regarded as 'fashion' and other categories such as 'costume', 'adornment', 'dress' and 'apparel'. 'Fashion' is defined by its relationship to time, with fashionable dress changing from season to season and moving quickly in and then out of vogue (and therefore becoming 'old' fashioned over time). In contrast, the technical term 'anti-fashion' describes modes of dress that are governed less by time and/or seasonal trends and that, instead, have a functional (rather than fashionable) purpose. The rural wardrobe provides some classic anti-fashion examples - tweeds, overalls and shooting vests to name a few. However, this fashion/anti-fashion way of categorising clothes is not always so 'neat' and the context (historical, geographical and sociological) becomes important in interpreting specific items. This is borne out in the case of the Wellington boot, which acts both as functional outerwear (on a muddy allotment, perhaps) but also as high fashion accessory (at, say, Glastonbury music festival).
2. Badminton Horse Trials
Established in 1949 by the tenth Duke of Beaufort at the family seat, Badminton House in Gloucestershire, Badminton Horse Trials originally began as a forum for British riders to train for world class competitions, particularly the Olympics. The Trials still remain as one of the most prestigious equestrian events in the world, being one of only six events classified as 'four-star' by the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI). Approximately one hundred horses are entered into the Badminton event, drawn from eleven countries. The cross-country day attracts crowds of up to a quarter of a million people – the largest for any sporting event in the UK.
3. Pop-up
The term 'pop-up' is increasingly commonplace in British retailing and refers to temporary stores (usually, although not exclusively, fashion-related) that trade for short periods of a few days or weeks. 'Pop-up' is a relatively new term but this model of retailing has its roots in market-stall trading and might be traced historically to the medieval fayre and travelling hawker. Pop-ups provide retailers, entrepreneurs and start-up businesses with an opportunity to test new products, create a 'buzz' around their brands and exploit key sales opportunities ('popping-up' at Christmas or at specialist events). They may make use of vacant existing premises (benefiting from low rents, less overheads and short leases) or may pitch mobile stores (in the form of converted caravans, trailers or informal structures) in key locations. The shopping village at Badminton provides an example of 'pop-up' retailing on a grand scale as the site transforms from verdant pastureland to commercial mall (and back) in a matter of days.
4. Rural lifestyle
Nostalgic references to a - perhaps somewhat imaginary - rural way of life are very much in evidence in the goods and services on offer at the Badminton shopping village. There is ample opportunity for shoppers to 'look the part', buying classic country clothing that has a rich provenance and is infused with historic associations. In the collective consciousness, certain design cues, certain fabrics and certain colour palettes have come to signal a traditional rural lifestyle. For example, dress historians Amy de la Haye and Tony Glenville (1996: 118) suggest tweed fabric to be a "mainstay" for country clothes, being sturdy, hard wearing, and therefore well suited to the rigours of outdoor life. They also suggest that country clothing is traditionally produced in natural hues - "in colours evoking heather, berries, soil and leaves" - to reflect the rural landscape. Fashion theorist Alison Lurie (1982: 104) also suggests the natural environment has a strong influence on the form and function of rural dress, with traditional fabrics such as moleskin, waxed cotton and corduroy being "made into baggy, rumpled, rounded garments that echo the uneven shapes of the landscape - of bush, tree and hill."
5. Competitive
The competitive nature of Badminton Horse Trials extends to the economics of the event at large. Badminton Horse Trials operates as a limited company, run by Managing Director (and Course Designer) Hugh Thomas. There are numerous financial stakeholders: Badminton Estate, corporate sponsors, individual stall holders, local businesses, broadcasting franchises and the wider regional community. Hugh Thomas underscores the economic remit of the event:
6. Clothing
Clothing is able to signal affiliation to particular social groups. To 'belong' to the Badminton 'set' is to dress (be it consciously or unconsciously) in a particular way, taking on a shared identity where common ways of dressing suggest other commonalities such as interests, values and class belonging. The sociologist Erving Goffman (1971: 202) suggested that when understood in this way clothing might be seen as a visual "tie-sign" - a means of showing off one's membership ties to a social tribe. At the horse trials in May 2009, the 'DuBarry' boot was de rigeur among visitors and formed the prevailing footwear of choice at the event (as well as being of iconic status in the international horse-riding community at large). DuBarry are an Irish company (est. 1936) and their 'Galway' boot is a Wellington-type style made of leather with a waterproof lining fabric. The ability to recognise this branded boot, along with the ability to purchase it (given its comparatively high price point) requires a certain amount of tribal understanding – of 'being in the know' about peer-approved clothing choices, and being in a position (both socially and financially) to make those choices. See Bourdieu 1984, 1993 on cultural and economic capital for further elaboration.
7. Sociological context
An interesting sociological observation can be made regarding the (unwritten) codes of dress surrounding visitors to the Horse Trials. Located on the periphery of the Estate, an expanse of rough grazing land turns parking lot for the duration of the Badminton event. In the temporary car park visitors 'tog up' for the event, donning outerwear and footwear which have been peer-approved as fit for purpose. The motor car, which frequently takes the form of a 4x4 (a vehicle pejoratively termed the 'Chelsea tractor' when purchased by middle class suburbanites living far from the countryside), becomes dressing room and prop store, enabling preparations to take place for entry onto the metaphorical stage of equestrian eventing, shopping and spectating. This process of dressing up to 'look the part' suggests that individuals play particular roles in the drama of life - and that clothing is an important prop at their disposal to adapt to the demands of different social contexts. Entry onto the stage that is Badminton requires careful back stage planning. This idea of differing back stage and front stage behaviours in everyday life is elaborated by Erving Goffman (1961: 128). As he puts it "it is here [in 'back stage' spaces] that illusions and impressions are openly constructed." The site of the shopping village at Badminton also endorses this 'dramaturgical' perspective. For example, clearly marked pathways guide the visitor through carefully constructed avenues of stalls and sideshows, so that the site is experienced in a particular order and manner. Back stage zones in the form of storage areas, trailer parking, staff rooms and press lounges are also clearly demarcated but the intention is that they are not for public consumption and as such are removed from open view. The Badminton site is, therefore, a series of carefully negotiated public and private sights.
8. Three days
Although only five days in duration, preparations for the Horse Trials are ongoing and the organising committee work almost all-year round in order to design, plan and construct a complex geographical site containing cross-country course, arena and shopping village. The Badminton House Estate is transformed year-on-year from picturesque landscape to competitive arena. This transformation draws sympathetic inspiration from the natural Gloucestershire surrounds but must also fulfil a series of more urbane necessities to do with the staging of an international spectacle. The site of the Trials is simultaneously required to be a media hub and broadcast centre, tourist destination, picnicking area, stable block and tack yard, camping ground, spectator terrace, dressing room, car park, shopping mall and socio-cultural event. The landscape at Badminton has multiple authors and audiences. The course designer, Hugh Thomas, elaborates this point:
9. Visitor-spectators
All clothing has layers of value relating to social and cultural symbols and codes - an idea that is probably most immediately recognisable in the many television programmes that track high street trends and offer tips on how 'looking good' is currently being defined in mainstream fashion. Of course, different people have different priorities and definitions of themselves, their social group and the value placed upon how to dress. Certain items and specific brands are synonymous with the rural wardrobe. There is no definitive list, but Barbour jackets, Hunter boots and the Cordings covert coat feature consistently. These items traditionally signal powerful affiliations with class - notably with upper class identity or at least the aspiration of becoming or being seen as upper class, as well as self-conscious parodies of such aspirations. Sartorial based caricatures of the eighties reference these symbolic garments through figures such as the 'Sloane Ranger' and 'Hooray Henry' (see York 1982 and 2007), and these somewhat satirical characters find contemporary relatives in the 'Hackney Farmer' and 'Rah'. Regardless of how sincere or ironic the wearing of a particular garment might be, the most striking symbolism associated with the rural wardrobe is membership of a social elite and a pseudo-aristocratic (familiarly British) country house lifestyle. Badminton's identity is broadly centred around the huntin', shootin' and fishin' outdoorsmanship of the landowner with a country pile. Nevertheless, because of the complex ways in which these associations are configured and played with, there are interesting contemporary overlaps between rural and urban, posh and populist. In one of many recent newspaper and media reports discussing 'the return of poshness', Beckett suggests that:
10. Cross-country day
Horse trial eventing traditionally takes place in the countryside, so its roots and immediate associations as a sport come from an authentically rural environment. Events typically comprise of up to three disciplines: dressage, which is concerned with the healthy presentation and precise control of the horse within a standard sized arena; cross-country, which takes place across an expansive course combining a range of different challenges, such as jumps and water obstacles, designed to test the temperament and physical capability of horse and rider; and show jumping, which focuses upon the technical skill required to negotiate a series of fences set up within a ring. The basis of these trials lies in military training. The dress and uniforms of the riders reveal certain aspects of this heritage, while the events - notably cross-country - represent a contrived equivalent to the challenges faced by a rider on horseback. A member of the cavalry, for instance, was historically expected to negotiate difficult and sometimes unpredictable terrain with speed and efficiency (Pontifex and Cooper 1998; British Eventing 2009).
11. Site
One of the concepts shaping this exhibition is that of the 'field'. Badminton literally takes place outdoors in a field, but the site is defined by more than its rural setting. There are associations of class and grandeur, relating to the house and extensive grounds, so the site is not defined by natural beauty alone. In fact, the field that Badminton takes place in is part of a constructed landscape, temporarily containing elements of a city or town centre (such as a temporary high street, banking outlets, display screens, media centres and an extensive array of shops). Badminton is therefore not an entirely natural field in the physical sense. Even when the event is over there remain unseen, underground aspects of infrastructure - supplying water and electricity, for instance - indicative of numerous man-made alterations to the site. In addition to fields as actual places a 'field' can also be an area of thought, where the concept of terrain applies to mental rather than physical ground to be covered. Pierre Bourdieu - a sociologist, anthropologist and philosopher - uses the term 'field' to describe a setting in which individuals and their social relations can be identified. As a field of rural fashion, Badminton is therefore both literally and theoretically an interesting site. In his essay 'Field' (1971), the writer, critic and artist John Berger captures the sense of how a field can be a geographical space as well as a meeting point for different ideas:
In another association, which is self consciously referenced in the title of this exhibition and the larger project 'Fields of Fashion', Stephen Daniels' book Fields of Vision (1993) discusses paintings, landscape design and architecture as different forms capable of telling stories about social and national identity. As a site, Badminton is therefore not just a green field on a country estate but a field of ideas shaped by the interaction of people, and how they present themselves, within the particular space they have visited.
12. Sights
All clothing can be seen as a form of non-verbal communication capable of being 'read' as a visual language (see Barthes, 1983; Lurie, 1982). The fashion theorist Malcolm Barnard suggests that "fashion, clothing and dress are signifying practices, they are ways of generating meanings" (1996: 38). These meanings are present because every piece of clothing tells its own story about the person wearing it, regardless of whether it is being worn for practical or social reasons. Obvious associations made through clothing might relate to religious affiliation, uniformed roles and specific garments needed for working. It is therefore possible to make assumptions about people depending upon what they wear. Notions of individual and social identity, age and age appropriateness, 'tribal' grouping (such as punks and Goths, for example), social position, employment, issues of prestige and challenges to social convention, as well as more immediately changeable aspects, such as a person's mood on a particular day, may all be 'read' according to dress. These examples indicate a few ways clothing can be considered a form of visual communication. If oversimplified then such 'readings' can easily become reductive or misinterpreted, but dress nevertheless forms an important part of how identity is communicated in a social situation.
13. Class-based privilege
Class-based privilege is strongly associated with some aspects of equestrian eventing. While this is clearly in evidence at Badminton - where members of the Royal family and upper classes famously compete - horse shows are defined by more than just economic wealth and financial status. The shopping village at Badminton can scramble certain perceptions, or misperceptions, relating to tradition and taste. Highly specialised and expensive equestrian gear can be found alongside craft-based folk traditions, inviting a more complex understanding of rural identity than a first glance might immediately suggest.
14. Rural idyll
The regional location of the Badminton estate, with its historic country house and the Cotswold hills beyond, encourages the "symbolic activation" of a particular set of legends and lores (Daniels, 1993: 5). Viewed as one site/sight within England's 'green and pleasant land', Badminton brings to mind traditional notions of Anglo-Britishness and the Crown Heartland. Although not geographically located in the 'Home Counties', the Cotswolds are still very much part of a picturesque image of England that continues to evoke a strong sense of identity in the national imagination (Matless, 1998).
15. Carnivalesque
The shopping village at Badminton sells everything from traditional horse tack, through hot tubs, garden furniture, possum-fur socks and glitter-coated riding crops, to hot pink Stetsons, stuffed-toy pony mascots, pocket money toys and zip-up pullovers printed with playful slogans. Clear elements of the carnivalesque can be found at Badminton in the helter skelter, mechanical horse carousel and fairground attractions, which bring elements of the village fête to an internationally renowned elite equestrian event. A mixture of high and low culture - and cultural artefacts - is/are consumed cheek by jowel.
16. Rural-urban divide
With clothing, the neat rural-urban divide has long been problematic. Although traditional rules of etiquette offer clear dictates regarding 'correct' attire for town and country (always black-coloured shoes for town, and brown for country), these rules are entirely arbitrary. There is a long and illustrious history of high fashion taking its lead from country apparel and, throughout time, designers have raided the rural wardrobe for inspiration. Coco Chanel is an obvious example, turning repeatedly to equestrian garb and accessories as design references in her collections. The French label Hermes has its roots in saddlery traditions and today is still known for leather crafting and design cues that are rooted in the brasswork of harnesses and bridles. The same might be said of British label, Mulberry, and similar 'heritage' labels that are known collectively as 'Brit Chic' brands: Aquascutum, Daks and Burberry to name a few. In addition to designer collections and luxury brands, contemporary British high street retailers have borrowed from rural clothing - to the point that in Autumn 2010 the high street is awash with middle and low-end products that signal the British country look is 'on trend'. Quilted jackets, waistcoats, jodphurs, riding boots and silk squares with horsey motifs are offered up to city centre shoppers in what might be regarded as postmodern practices and patterns.
