| Hero | Andrea Zittel

 A-Z Personal Panel Uniform,  1995-1998

Andrea Rosen Gallery

  The Russian Constructivists created garments predominantly from geometric shapes. They felt that fabric that is woven into flat rectangles should not be cut and sewn into shapes alien to its origin.  Zittel’s Personal Panel Uniforms (1995-98) pushed this principle to it’s most extreme conclusion by creating rectangular garments pinned and tied to fit.

1991 SPRING SUMMER SIX MONTH UNIFORM

Zittel began creating Six Month Uniforms in 1991 as a response to the social dictate to wear an entirely different change of clothes every day. By wearing a single uniform for six months, she no only eliminated the stress of choosing a daily outfit , but also generated an alternative to the mandate of  perpetual variety mandated consumer culture. More then seventy variations of the A-Z Personal Uniform now exist. The first A-Z Six Month Personal Uniforms were cut and sewn.  They ranged from basic wool dresses to silk adorned tulle and wool petticoats.  For her job in an art gallery and the working the studio, the artist needed an attractive yet flexible uniform (1992); for her work maintaining a chicken coop and other more strenuous daily activites, the uniform design added pants (1993).   

 Smockshop

 The smockshop is an artist run enterprise that generates income for artists whose work is either non-commercial, or not yet self sustaining. A smock is a simple double wrap around garment designed by Andrea Zittel - then sewn by artists who reinterpret the original design. As an active testament to Zittel’s principle that "rules make us more creative", each resulting smock is completely unique and one of a kind.In 2010 the smockshop was concluded and is now being archived.  A follow up project under the working title "The group formerly known as smockshop" is now underway.The List of smockers includes:  Tiprin Follet,  Kate Hillseth,  Donna Huanca,  Molly Keogh,  Tony Koerner,  Peggy Pabustan,  Ashira Siegel,  V Smiley,  Sophie Tusler,  Michelle Brunnick,  Emily Bult,  Sonja Cvitkovic,  Jennifer Durban,  Karen Gelardi,  Hadassa Goldvicht,  Carole Frances Lung,  Mark Rodriguez,  Mariana Saldana,  Jason Villegas,  Maude Benson,  Claire Fong.