THE ROYAL ROUTE
OF PRAGUE
Where’s my home; The relationship of Generation Z and contemporary fashion to Czech cultural heritage
Words by Veronika Soukupová
Generation Z is in the process of reevaluating its relationship to the past. Despite being defined by transience, the new generation and its members are becoming increasingly interested in nurturing the enduring value of cultural heritage. The return towards traditional values isn’t just a self-serving nostalgic longing for ‘better times’, but it has also created an impulse for the readjustment of current social attitudes. How is Generation Z, together with the current fashion scene, coping with the challenges of transformation accelerated by the climate and pandemic crisis?
The relationship of society to its past has developed dynamically. Contextually, this can be compared to the conscious return towards values of traditional craft under the patronage of the English reformative movement of Arts and Crafts, which demarcated against the depersonalised nature of industrial production. Perhaps it could also be compared to what became the case in (now) Czechia, when, in connection with the emancipation efforts of the First Republic, there came an inclined return to Slavic folklorism in the search for national identity and what distinguished it from the others. The idealism of Morris's Arts and Crafts movement is in many ways similar to the current stances of the young generation, typically addressed as ‘the zoomer’ generation - its name aptly referring to its core principles. Due to the environment in which it was brought up, what distinguishes it from other generations is the speed by which its members are capable of processing information from the internet. However, the accelerated pace and transience of hyper-consumer society, as defined by the French sociologist Gilles Lipovetsky, has again aroused an interest amongst the younger generation in the enduring value of its own cultural legacy.
photography JOHANA KASALICKÁ
styling GAVRIIL LENCHENKO
model DANIELA BERTOLETTI at Ely MGMT
muah MARTINA LOYDOVÁ
styling GAVRIIL LENCHENKO
model DANIELA BERTOLETTI at Ely MGMT
muah MARTINA LOYDOVÁ
The impacts of globalisation have created a climate that encourages young people to escape generic stereotypes and to protect the cultural specificities and the national heritage of their own country. The criticism of issues raised by members of our generation is a logical conclusion to, and an inescapable consequence of, a long-lasting issue of mass tourism, as inhabitants of metropolitan cities all over the world are witnessing an exploitation of their own traditions through souvenir culture.The historical part of Prague is one of the destinations which has inevitably suffered from the impact of excess mass tourism in the last decade. The Mother of the Cities has lost genuine life that used to dominate its streets. Instead of being filled by its own inhabitants, the streets are conquered by flowing crowds of foreigners, garbage left after parties and a very much false picture of Czech history. Through the Royal Route of Prague, stretching from the Powder Tower towards the Prague Castle, the misunderstanding of a culture materialises in the form of matryoshkas, the typical merch with its marijuana logos in convenience stores, umbrellas with poor reproductions of Alfons Mucha's images or (un)traditional Bohemian trdelník. When one looks past this, the route actually consists of exceptional architectural features and dominants, the message of which is obscured by the aggressive aesthetics of visual smog. The sociological and ecological questions that mass tourism brings up, have become decisive for Generation Z. Despite Prague’s degraded city centre still waiting on the younger generation to provide it a more thorough reflection, the environmental impact of tourism in its global scale has become the alpha omega of the generation’s decision making.
Environmentalism as well as a return to past epochs is not a prerogative of the present. The calling after a transformative model of the industrial society is an aspect that connects both the critics of consumerism and the hippies of the 60s. Despite this interest being associated primarily with radical groups on the edges of the societal spectrum, in today’s context of the climate crisis, these questions can no longer be ignored.
The complex problematic nature of overtourism has acquired new dimensions with the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic. A walk through the Royal Route and the historical core of Prague without its usually present masses of tourists is no longer an unimaginable utopian concept, but has become the reality of daily life. The usually tourist-booked Airbnbs have once again become home to Prague’s own inhabitants, the public space has come to life and has allowed for joyful happenings, such as a feast in the middle of the otherwise impassable Charles Bridge. Those who previously deliberately avoided the historic centre can now experience the Genius loci of it firsthand. Prague is now, slowly yet surely, paving its way towards sustainable tourism, which has been on the agenda for various localities around the world for a number of years now. There may be a chance that our new relationship with the space of our home will not become just a temporary consequence of the pandemic crisis, however it is highly necessary that there is a conscious effort to maintain it so as to not fall into lethargy.
photography JOHANA KASALICKÁ
styling GAVRIIL LENCHENKO
model DANIELA BERTOLETTI at Ely MGMT
muah MARTINA LOYDOVÁ
styling GAVRIIL LENCHENKO
model DANIELA BERTOLETTI at Ely MGMT
muah MARTINA LOYDOVÁ
Contemporary fashion is also facing the difficult task of coping with the consequences of the two global crises. The fashion industry is inherently based on the production of goods and thus does not seem to be in line with the transformation of the consumer world towards the better. Fashion, however, is inevitably engaged in and has the potential to create social change. Already in the 60s, the alternative designer Victor Papanek was able to identify the initiative role of design in solving certain social issues. The sustainable approach, which is yet to be developed when it comes to tourism, is the predominant starting point of the young fashion scene and has generated a strong response amongst the Czech fashion scene as well. Young designers and fashion students are searching for ways in which to approach their own work through an eco-friendly lens and with respect to the surrounding timely events. The approach is moving in the direction of upcycling, innovative working with unconventional non-textile based materials and seemingly towards choosing waste materials in the process of development.
Reflecting upon local traditions through individual approaches also seems to be one of the pillars of contemporary fashion. The techniques of wool processing, knitting, embroidery, blueprint or lace come to life through these contemporary concepts, which can be associated with the recently renewed interest in folklorism. This can be interpreted in connection with the appreciation of craftsmanship and with a certain slowness as a counterweight to the advent of new technologies. By referring back to the seemingly outdated possibilities, authors are creating opportunities for the future.
The concept of distancing from the trends of globalisation and in contrast moving back towards tradition is common for the ‘zoomer’ generation. Young fashion designers are abandoning the idea of design as a luxury and are paving way for their peers, through their own realisations, to stand out and abandon the uniformities created by the dominant erasure of local identities. Generation Z is now basing its ethos around the values of sustainability and local produce, is finding new ecological and environmentally friendly approaches, wears authorial or vintage fashion, is learning from the mistakes of its ancestors and cares to create a cultural legacy that will not be forgotten.
See the Czech version of this article together with visual artworks in NOVY ZINE, issue 1.