American West

I have chosen the website 'AmericanWest.cc'. American West is fashion company based out in the west. The company hand crafts its goods which consist of mostly leather luxury items. They are perhaps best know for their hand crafted handbags which are praised for their longevity, so much so in fact that they offer a lifetime warranty with each item. The thing to look at here however isn't the warranty itself but the principle behind it. It is a principle that things should be built to last through all wear and tear, much like items were back in the days when western America thrived.

As much as this website pays homage to the west with its 'Westernised' models and its elaborate western theme amongst many other things, one can not help but feel an underlying sadness within American West website. This website is more of a social comment on how the west has had to adapt to survive. Whilst the website is of course centered around the West and the principles that surround it, its is striking how modernised American West actually is. From subtle things such as the drop down bars to the 'standard' high end fashion font and from not so subtle things such as the models. The models are not your typical western Americans; they're not tall, strong men but rather your typical modern male models. They're not small, fragile women in need of saving from cowboy John but rather a tall, independent looking female. The fact a female is even the feature of the website is a statement within itself.

America West is harsh reminder of how the western world has had to adapt and how, when it eventually does, lose its identity.