Swallow-a-Bicycle’s Clothing is a multifaceted, immersive experience about the world of fashion.
It starts out with a fun session of unwrapping gift-wrapped clothes, selected for you by the theatre company that knows your preferences and approximate sizing. The music is pumping and you, as a member of this experience, get a rush of finding new clothing, trying it on, and being able to express yourself through the choices you make in clothing. Everything is customized with your name on it, clothing is wrapped in red wrapping paper and the experience is exciting.
You then move on to the next room, guided by the tour host Christopher Duthie, where you can change into clothing, check yourself in the mirrors, and even pull things from the market to accessorize and add to your look. You can feel free to take pictures, especially with those who are in this experience with you.
But like most things in life, there is another side to the fashion world that we aren’t entirely exposed to, on a regular basis. The idea of fast fashion and underpaid labour and clothing winds up in landfills. Swallow-a-Bicycle Theatre is creative productive discomfort to make you think deeply about where your clothing comes from and where it goes once you’re done wearing it. It’s an experience worth having.
Swallow-a-Bicycle’s Clothing has closed its run, but stay tuned for upcoming performances and projects by the company on their website.
Photo Credit: Paola Contreras, pictured Tamlyn Stuurman, Bassem Hafez, Adele Chui, Ann