Rebranded, Reimagined
By nature, and out of necessity, OR?! addresses social issues in the fashion industry and the world. Along with addressing fashion’s narrow view on gender, Leggett’s collections call attention to other problems as well. According to the OR?! site, the brand’s previous collection called Water Project, focused on the fashion industry’s water consumption, particularly the fact that it takes 1,800 gallons of water to make a new pair of jeans. In response, the collection contained rebranded jeans with the statistic painted on each pair.
Declaration of Codependence remains true to Leggett’s pursuit of critique and change. Leggett worked with Satchel Lee, who photographed and helped art direct a shoot for the new collection. The collection and the shoot examine capitalistic American ideals as well as Leggett’s own relationship to them. In the shoot, is a red, white, and blue representation of the American flag with the words “Grade A,” “More” and “Reimagine” written on it.
“The core of my work is about solving the problems of super-consumption and gender-norms while also creating objects for people to enjoy (and consume),” Leggett told office. “It’s about reckoning with my own identity as someone who loves to consume and someone who has no doubt benefitted from ‘Americaness.’”