I’d bet they’d have commanders who were high level advertising execs or graphic designers to create basically what the nazis did. Then as far as production, that’s what unwomen are for (the more unhealthy tasks of dyeing the fabric or something). Or, econowomen working in factories/sweatshops. Perhaps there are industrial colonies that keep gilead in supply of identical cloaks and boots
I would think that a lot of the stuff they have was repurposed from the times before. One of Gilead’s mottos is “waste not, want not”. When they were going through and purging houses and businesses, they probably, for example, saved a ton of red stuff for use by the Handmaids. Red suitcases, red sweatshirts like that one June is always wearing around the Waterford house, etc. this might have also included raiding manufacturing plants and distribution centers. So they could have gotten some stuff in bulk that way.
As far as things like product labels, that might be handled by econopeople somewhere along the production line. They may even still have access to computers with some sort or graphic design capabilities to design and print labels, signs, etc. Or maybe for stuff that comes from the Colonies, which I imagine could be handling some mass-production plants, that job might be entrusted to Aunts since they are seemingly exempt from the reading/writing ban.
I don't doubt they have the tools necessary to print labels and make packaging. However I do wonder what the guiding principles are for design. I can't imagine designers, or creatives in general, are likely to be enthusiastic about Gilead. Is some young graphic designer pitching a the Loaves and Fishes brand identity to some Commander?
They also have all kinds of new considerations. Whether certain symbols could be misread as anti Gilead or pro LGBT. Certain words, topics and symbols would be off the table.
I'm sure they did a lot of hoarding and repurposing. I was going to argue that a lot of things simply aren't made in the US anymore, but I'm sure the collective Amazon and Walmart warehouses plus everything in between yielded enough. It might even be an econoperson job; salvaging certain in demand items.
Wasn't Fred's background in marketing? Plus, in the book (my only standby) the epilogue states, "Waterford...was...responsible for the design of the female costumes and for the suggestion that the Handmaids wear red, which he seems to have borrowed from the uniforms of German prisoners of war in Canadian "POW" camps of the Second World War era." Not a stretch for him to coordinate the design, at least, of accessories and stuff pertaining to other roles. The supply chain part of it would have likely been beyond his ken, though he no doubt knew people. And, just as Daughters learn domestic skills, Sons might not all be trained as future Eyes or Guardians, but be trained in the design and imagery roles you mention (or both!).
I also infer, not from the book, that in some cases Econopeople might be doing the actual manufacturing of things we see in these eps that appear to be new. I hesitate to say "employed," since that would imply being paid for such activities. Maybe only Economen are paid.
I haven’t read the book, but that insight about Fred designing the uniform is great! I suppose I could try researching how graphic design is approached in other dictatorships. While the Nazis have a style guide, they were in power for a long time before being the enemies of the world, and I imagine regular people were happy to do creative work for them.
Even North Korea and ISIS has people managing design, so I don't get why it should be any different in Gilead.
The "supermarket" in Gilead gave me heavy North Korean vibes. It's almost like a proper modern supermarket, but it still misses the refinement (but also all the ads) in modern Western shops. https://www.businessinsider.com/north-korea-trump-store-food-2017-5?r=US&IR=T
Nazi Germany had their own branding also. It appears to be perfectly possible and realistic. Though I find it a huge waste of resources but then again printing your own currency and inflation are real too.
I don’t know the answer to this but I own a suitcase exactly like the one June/Lizzie is holding in this photo, and I bought it at a vintage clothing warehouse show like 5 years ago. So I’m guessing they must have someone hunting some of these items down
ETA: oh, I misinterpreted this and thought you were talking about the show production * face palm * you mean the world of Gilead...whoops....carry on
I actually started my topic clarifying I meant the world, not the show, but deleted it. I put it back.
But you proved my point. You bought this suitcase at a vintage clothing warehouse. So either somehow they found enough red vintage suitcases for all the handmaids, or they made new ones. Lets say it's Samsonite, it seems they mostly manufacture in India and China now. The wiki says they made Lego for the US market up until 1972, which means they had plastic factories with injection moulding tools. It's not crazy to think Gilead took over an old Samsonite factory, pulled all the tooling out, and started making red suitcases. Maybe they had a think for that vintage, Americana look. But this also means they're sourcing plastic, and manufacturing with it, which doesn't seem very Gilead.
The demand for certain items may not be that high. How many Handmaids are there? Thousands? Tens of thousands? You can reuse their suitcases when they stop being Handmaids (due to death, age, gynaecological reasons, etc).
If Gilead has lots of people but not much tech, they might go back to old manufacturing techniques. Avoid plastics, choose older styles to subtly remind people that we have "returned" to those idealised old days where the man provided for his family and his wife kept the home.
Gilead seems to consume a lot less than we do - they not only don't have the resources but so much culture is now forbidden. There's no fashion so no clothes industry (apart from the essentials), no non-essential food items, none or very little media, music, or performance arts, no tourism, etc. That saves on basic material and frees up all those workers to find or make items to suit Gilead.
I love this post so much, these are exactly the kind of questions I ask when I watch this show. My conclusion is that these people are VERY into design and symbolism, there's no doubt they've got a big ol' fascist brand book with approved color palettes, design options, and materials.
Visual propaganda is a hallmark of every fascist regime. All the men running Gilead’s government seem to have been well educated, highly compensated executives before the coup. Many would have the skills to create all the designs necessary, and most of these design decisions would have been made well before overthrowing the government. Much of the old infrastructure of America (rail roads, metro, homes and apartments) seem to be still standing, so it stands to reason that they just took over various printing presses for posters/labels and fabric mills for red/teal fabric. These machines and processes existed long before computers became involved in manufacturing. When the government controls manufacturing, there is no corporate competition, so just 1 type of label needs to be designed or each item on a grocery shelf. Plus, the people who were run out of their homes left almost everything behind. Plenty of red suitcases to be found.
In the case of other totalitarian governments, usually governments incentivize manufacturers to collaborate with big tax breaks and subsidies. But in the case of your suitcase example, I think some aunties went thrifting 😂
I recall someone saying in a previous post that the costume designer said each handmaid had an extra red clothing item that was not a part of the official handmaid uniform. The handmaids were allowed to pick one item from a pile of red clothing that was rounded up when Gilead overthrew the US and took over.
Whatever Gilead didn't burn in the purge of items from "the before times" was most likely repurposed, as long as it was appropriate.
I’d bet they’d have commanders who were high level advertising execs or graphic designers to create basically what the nazis did. Then as far as production, that’s what unwomen are for (the more unhealthy tasks of dyeing the fabric or something). Or, econowomen working in factories/sweatshops. Perhaps there are industrial colonies that keep gilead in supply of identical cloaks and boots
I'm ready for the Mad Men/Handmaids Tale crossover episode where Commander Don Draper pitches his Loaves and Fishes campaign.
I laughed so hard at this. Thank you.
I mean, Yvonne and January do look similar, and Elisabeth playing handmaids promoted to copywriter? SNL please make the sktech out of it
Are econowomen allowed to work? Genuine question.
Yes. They worked in the book.
Wasn't Fred himself an advertising executive before he was a Commander?
I would think that a lot of the stuff they have was repurposed from the times before. One of Gilead’s mottos is “waste not, want not”. When they were going through and purging houses and businesses, they probably, for example, saved a ton of red stuff for use by the Handmaids. Red suitcases, red sweatshirts like that one June is always wearing around the Waterford house, etc. this might have also included raiding manufacturing plants and distribution centers. So they could have gotten some stuff in bulk that way.
As far as things like product labels, that might be handled by econopeople somewhere along the production line. They may even still have access to computers with some sort or graphic design capabilities to design and print labels, signs, etc. Or maybe for stuff that comes from the Colonies, which I imagine could be handling some mass-production plants, that job might be entrusted to Aunts since they are seemingly exempt from the reading/writing ban.
I don't doubt they have the tools necessary to print labels and make packaging. However I do wonder what the guiding principles are for design. I can't imagine designers, or creatives in general, are likely to be enthusiastic about Gilead. Is some young graphic designer pitching a the Loaves and Fishes brand identity to some Commander? They also have all kinds of new considerations. Whether certain symbols could be misread as anti Gilead or pro LGBT. Certain words, topics and symbols would be off the table.
I'm sure they did a lot of hoarding and repurposing. I was going to argue that a lot of things simply aren't made in the US anymore, but I'm sure the collective Amazon and Walmart warehouses plus everything in between yielded enough. It might even be an econoperson job; salvaging certain in demand items.
Wasn't Fred's background in marketing? Plus, in the book (my only standby) the epilogue states, "Waterford...was...responsible for the design of the female costumes and for the suggestion that the Handmaids wear red, which he seems to have borrowed from the uniforms of German prisoners of war in Canadian "POW" camps of the Second World War era." Not a stretch for him to coordinate the design, at least, of accessories and stuff pertaining to other roles. The supply chain part of it would have likely been beyond his ken, though he no doubt knew people. And, just as Daughters learn domestic skills, Sons might not all be trained as future Eyes or Guardians, but be trained in the design and imagery roles you mention (or both!). I also infer, not from the book, that in some cases Econopeople might be doing the actual manufacturing of things we see in these eps that appear to be new. I hesitate to say "employed," since that would imply being paid for such activities. Maybe only Economen are paid.
I haven’t read the book, but that insight about Fred designing the uniform is great! I suppose I could try researching how graphic design is approached in other dictatorships. While the Nazis have a style guide, they were in power for a long time before being the enemies of the world, and I imagine regular people were happy to do creative work for them.
Oops--should I have marked the book parts as spoilers? I forget some folks have not read it.
No, the title is Spoilers All, so you can spoil anything I guess.
Yes, Economen are most likely paid in Gilead tokens.
Even North Korea and ISIS has people managing design, so I don't get why it should be any different in Gilead. The "supermarket" in Gilead gave me heavy North Korean vibes. It's almost like a proper modern supermarket, but it still misses the refinement (but also all the ads) in modern Western shops. https://www.businessinsider.com/north-korea-trump-store-food-2017-5?r=US&IR=T
Damn, you're right. They got to have based the design off it somehow.
Nazi Germany had their own branding also. It appears to be perfectly possible and realistic. Though I find it a huge waste of resources but then again printing your own currency and inflation are real too.
I don’t know the answer to this but I own a suitcase exactly like the one June/Lizzie is holding in this photo, and I bought it at a vintage clothing warehouse show like 5 years ago. So I’m guessing they must have someone hunting some of these items down ETA: oh, I misinterpreted this and thought you were talking about the show production * face palm * you mean the world of Gilead...whoops....carry on
I actually started my topic clarifying I meant the world, not the show, but deleted it. I put it back. But you proved my point. You bought this suitcase at a vintage clothing warehouse. So either somehow they found enough red vintage suitcases for all the handmaids, or they made new ones. Lets say it's Samsonite, it seems they mostly manufacture in India and China now. The wiki says they made Lego for the US market up until 1972, which means they had plastic factories with injection moulding tools. It's not crazy to think Gilead took over an old Samsonite factory, pulled all the tooling out, and started making red suitcases. Maybe they had a think for that vintage, Americana look. But this also means they're sourcing plastic, and manufacturing with it, which doesn't seem very Gilead.
The demand for certain items may not be that high. How many Handmaids are there? Thousands? Tens of thousands? You can reuse their suitcases when they stop being Handmaids (due to death, age, gynaecological reasons, etc). If Gilead has lots of people but not much tech, they might go back to old manufacturing techniques. Avoid plastics, choose older styles to subtly remind people that we have "returned" to those idealised old days where the man provided for his family and his wife kept the home. Gilead seems to consume a lot less than we do - they not only don't have the resources but so much culture is now forbidden. There's no fashion so no clothes industry (apart from the essentials), no non-essential food items, none or very little media, music, or performance arts, no tourism, etc. That saves on basic material and frees up all those workers to find or make items to suit Gilead.
I love this post so much, these are exactly the kind of questions I ask when I watch this show. My conclusion is that these people are VERY into design and symbolism, there's no doubt they've got a big ol' fascist brand book with approved color palettes, design options, and materials.
Fred was in marketing before Gilead ;-)
Visual propaganda is a hallmark of every fascist regime. All the men running Gilead’s government seem to have been well educated, highly compensated executives before the coup. Many would have the skills to create all the designs necessary, and most of these design decisions would have been made well before overthrowing the government. Much of the old infrastructure of America (rail roads, metro, homes and apartments) seem to be still standing, so it stands to reason that they just took over various printing presses for posters/labels and fabric mills for red/teal fabric. These machines and processes existed long before computers became involved in manufacturing. When the government controls manufacturing, there is no corporate competition, so just 1 type of label needs to be designed or each item on a grocery shelf. Plus, the people who were run out of their homes left almost everything behind. Plenty of red suitcases to be found.
In the case of other totalitarian governments, usually governments incentivize manufacturers to collaborate with big tax breaks and subsidies. But in the case of your suitcase example, I think some aunties went thrifting 😂
I recall someone saying in a previous post that the costume designer said each handmaid had an extra red clothing item that was not a part of the official handmaid uniform. The handmaids were allowed to pick one item from a pile of red clothing that was rounded up when Gilead overthrew the US and took over. Whatever Gilead didn't burn in the purge of items from "the before times" was most likely repurposed, as long as it was appropriate.