"What Price Vanity?" back view of crinoline.
This piece draws similarities between the cost of fashion in the 19th and 21st centuries.
From 1845 - 1860, the crinoline was a popular undergarment made of steel, wood or bone to make long skirts stand out. Over 40,000 women died wearing crinolines -- from their skirts catching on fire in front of hearths, or being caught in carriage wheels, or swept off cliffs or piers. In one case, 2,400 people died at a Santiago event when two women in crinolines blocked the exit during a fire.
In the 21st century, Italian fashion house Dolce & Gabbana is condemned for their poor environmental practices and lack of transparency. Their label is shown on the D&G purse logo, and through the use of oversized red roses throughout -- a signature motif for D&G.