In light of its recession downsizing and mega-corporate sublation, I thought I would post some poetic (and tragic) reflections on grass-roots capitalism from the blog of Shabby Chic founder Rachel Ashwell.
“Shabby Chic on-line has had to close its doors.
But Simply Shabby Chic continues in Target stores.
Enjoy the treasures that you have bought over the years.
Hopefully bringing more smiles than tears.”
“Being an artist, a romantic, and a dreamer, I find it very easy to reflect on my life experiences in a storybook setting.”
“This past week my manufacturing plant has been selling off fabrics,
much of it of course is plain white.
Some are Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic floral prints.
Most of the buyers coming through have been sympathetic and nostalgic.
However some attempted to steal Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic tags and
labels so they can sell them an authentic Shabby Chic product.
This was disappointing to me.
This feels dirty…”
“While the fabric is of course Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic,
the products that they will be made into are not.
So for any of you who care whether you are buying authentic
Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic products, there will be some impostors for a while.
I have always wondered what if feels like being in the head of person
that copies. To me that is life as a destination without a journey.
Why would anyone want to create something that wasn’t their own heart
and soul?
Just for money I suppose.
That’s something I don’t understand…”
“REM
’Everybody hurts’
(And yes it hurts... it hurts because I love my stores,
I love my employees, I love my artisan vendors, I love my customers,
and things are broken for the time being.)”
“The jewels sit safetly on a solid gold band .....for I have the knowledge
that my childrens character has been forever changed.
They have never experienced the world without Shabby. Its a beauty
and strength they assumed came with breathing. They have learnt the
fragility of everything. Consequently they understand life,
just a little bit more…”
Grass-roots entrepreneurship is a permutation of capitalism at odds with principles of rationalization, thus the subsumption of DIY-home décor-come small-time industry by Target. Note how Rachel desperately clings to the concept of “the original." Creative/local/DIY/etc. capitalism gains its nostalgic quality from this emphatic copyright privatization of the concept and product, which allows consumers to indulge in the commodity’s mythic tale of origin in the authoritative hand of a human. Our epoch is that of craftsmanship’s fetishization, the aesthetics of craft connote personality while erasing the real relations of production.
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