Whats to come?

Past weeks (or months) have been rather quiet on this blog, as of much work related to summarizing the learning from my case studies and summing up with the master's thesis. The journey is bending towards an end. Finally. Great feeling of the experience, however still some things to are to be done... Beyond that I have been very involved with my latest project, in collaboration with a fashion designer and some other friends. 

Namely Makeable4u.wordpress.com – the Make{able} workshop series will continue!!! With different concepts we wish to bring clothing design and  a collaborative working to the people. The topics during the workshops will change according to the season, materials and suggestions by our participants. Therefore take a look at our blog and let us know what you would be interested in learning and making.

e.g. coming in autumn... rain cape made of a broken umbrella.

In spite of the positive feedback on the participatory workshops, the question arose whether a market implementation of half-way clothing and half-way products should be evaluated? I wondered if it is possible to reach the critical mass with an open and participatory design approach such as the half-way product? The research showed some potential to experiment further, if the concept – half-way garment in the context of a workshop setting would be appreciated by the average fashion consumer.

Half-way products in (online) stores, especially as a sewing kit, can rarely be found. What are the real market possibilities or are half-way products just another research tool? I imagine that a half-way sewing-kit can be an 'intelligent' product, that requires the consumer's interaction before the first use. The half-way product can offer different stages of difficulty, depending on the consumer's prior skills. However, every piece can be adjusted to measure and personal style. This will result in unique products, that offer more personal value, than prior discussed mass-customization.

On basis of the research, I discovered a broad variety of fashion activism strategies and projects, which were too many to be explained within this thesis. Surprisingly few projects go beyond the research approach and result in a self-sustaining market solution. Those new design solutions, still seem to be the subject of design research only, and not become established in the course of action of consumers and producers.

I came across a Slovenian brand 'PaulMalina' which offers ready-cut garments plus supplies and instructions in one package. This idea combines slow and local production with consumer independency in creation.

In respect of this idea, I interviewed two fashion brands and their respective designers, namely Sophie Schmuckermeier, from 'Fashion-Hackers' (interview on this blog), located in Berlin, Germany and Tjasa Avsec and Tina Hocevar from 'PaulMalina' (interview coming soon :). Both brands use either open source, fashion hacking or the half-way concept in their business strategy. 

Things to change and develop over time.

How can we as Designers support the users to become active makers and so encourage a change in the industry? It is of major importance to understand and follow up with the consumers motivation to get involved. Different key enablers to involve a broader majority, need to be discovered. If the entry level is easy to reach, consumers tend to be more willing to participate. By offering achievable goals, the fear of mistakes can be reduced as well. Co-design and participatory design offer the user the opportunities to customise and change the products according to their wishes. Those design practises aim for designing products together with the user. This gives a new perspective to the current economical system, and challenges it through “greater democracy, improved empowerment and less domination(Fletcher and Grose, 2012, 144).” In the best case scenario, those products allow to be developed over time, living with their owner. Consumers cannot engage deeply with artefacts where there is no growth, no change, no narrative and only predictability(Chapman 2006, 128).” One of the only ways to design sustaining products, is to accept and work with the constant change in consumers desire. Products have to be designed in a way they adapt and are able to reflect the current feeling and mood of their owner. Products that are update-able and made for multi-purpose, like the Self-couture garments/bedding by Diane Steverlynck, offer new spaces for designers to become creative (http://www.dianesteverlynck.be/). Steverlynck's project shows how a 3-layerd bedding can be with the help of buttons be transformed into a dress, blouse and woolen cape. Garments that are modular, and can be refashioned according to the owners daily wardrobe, are more likely to sustain according to consumers fast changing desires (Flechter and Grose, 2012). 

One step of 3, transforming a bedding sheet into a dress. Image from www.dianesteverlynck.be

 

The question of quality.

While evaluating the questionnaires of the latest Make{able} workshop, I came across one quote stating, that the level of value and the reasons for shopping new clothes are dependent on the quality of the garment. I do agree here fully, who likes to wear garments that have holes or lost their shape and colour? The participant stated, that the quality of the self made item differed a lot to what you get in the stores. I can agree here as well, because hand made vs. mass-produced items differ. Though, not necessarily in the aspect of quality, depending how we define quality. The items differ rather through a different feel, appearance and appreciation. If one is a passionate, skilled and detail-loving maker personality, achieving qualitative results is 'makeable'. Those clothes can easily compete with the mass manufactured garments coming from cheap labour countries.

Finishing a half-way Tunic.

Perfection does not need to be the goal of the first own garment. Using a sewing machine is not an extraordinary skill, its a tool of creative exploration. The fear of using the sewing machine, relates from the fact, that the majority has lost the skills and knowledge about this great tool already. They restrict themselves to a way smaller product choice, dictated by the companies and fashion makers. Don’t little mistakes show the learning process and will make the piece unique and facilitate learning by doing for the next piece? If one starts to enjoy sewing and overcome the fear, there is plenty of ways to improve skills to reach the level which makes you more aware of the crafting and design in all the pieces found in your wardrobe. The making process puts the user into another position of understanding the manufacture and duration needed to design and accomplish one piece of clothing. In addition, this knowledge helps to learn how clothes are put together, in case they feel the need to change it. Skilled users, are able to do smaller changes by themselves and thus redefine and create story within this piece of clothing as well.

Beyond this learning process, consumers will also start realising the real qualitative difference between, skilfully made garments, with high quality materials. How to check for longevity in products: http://www.alreadypretty.com/2011/01/reader-request-shopping-for-quality-and-longevity.html or: http://thestyleaficionado.com/2010/06/how-to-identify-quality-clothes/

Sustainable Fashion benefits at the most, form the longevity of products, through a long product lifespan. The less new products and resources the consumer purchases, the better. Therefore, designers have the responsibility to ensure a high product quality, as well as enforce and encourage the use of good materials, and preferably local production. The way people interact and behave towards their garments, is eventually based on the way they are designed.

Creating Stories – Uusix Locally 'MADE in Helsinki'

Me building the material forest.

Within the past months I have been rather busy with working at another project that is still closely linked to my thesis. 

It is focusing as most of my other approachs also, on creating stories and memory conected to products and the people. Memories captured in products are most often mentioned as the main reason why people value them higher. My goal is therefore to create stories, memory and meaningfulness within the products so they grow together with their owner, to be kept, cared for and valued for a longer period of time. Even though, if one day the owner decides to give them away, if he/she cares for them, they are less likely to just put them to the garbage, they rather try to find a new owner who will take care. This thought I got at least when talking with friends, and sellers at the flea-market. 
I had a nice encounter a few days ago at the big Valteri Flea-market at Vallila, I found a lovely dress saying 'Made in Finland', and the owner told my a sweet story to it, and that she had so many nice memories conected to it, so she wanted it to find a new owner who would take care of it as well. Now its mine, and I love it already :) I also stayed in contact with the former owner, which is a really nice aswell.

Uusix Room - A space to interact - dive into the material forest.

Also in the research feedback from the Make{able} workshop I often found the key point that creates the higher value, was the making by the owner, or at least finishing and fine-tuning - creating a personal stamp and fit. This will create a memory of making and working with it. 
Stamping things, leads me to my other bigger project with Uusix Verstaat, a social enterprise of the city Helsinki. I have been enjoying to work there and with Uusix since last autumn, creating textile prints for the WDC and 200 years of Helsinki and mainly organising and building their room in Helsinki Museum - Hakasalmi Villa.

Patchwork created from the left overs of the city prints.

Handmade by Uusix

Their products are mainly shaped by the people making them. Me as designer just had the role of providing them with a starting idea – the textile single prints. The products and patterns were mostly created by the people only with some feedback from my side. All the wonderful items are produced locally in their facilities in Kyläsaari, Helsinki. Uusix is part of Helsinki's rehabilitation unit, and is dedicated to people who have been longer-term unemployed. Its main goal is to help them finding back to working life. The products created at Uusix are mainly based on recycled materials, products that host a former life-story already, but have been a discarded or lost their original purpose. Within their various workshops, they find new ways to be reinvented and reinterpreted to become a new life or story. Uusix was now also represented in the recently opened 'Made in Helsinki 1700 -2012' exhibition at Hakasalmi. The past two or three months I was mainly involved in organising planning and building the exhibition room. Which I am after all very happy to see in real action. The room is also named after the whole concept of Uusix and tries to represent the organisation in the best possible way I could think of. The theme called 'New Stories' (Uusia Tarinoita) is very much conform with my thesis idea, therefore I will try to also include it within my writing and thesis studies. The whole room is based on the white space of an unwritten story, filled with materials, to touch and interact, and shaped by the people of Uusix, that surround the room with a 13 meter photography panorama. There are also going to be workshops once a month, always the first Wednesday of each month, starting with the Taideyö (Night of the arts) in August 2012. Currently there are pillows, filled with recycled materials to test, feel and move around as well as a stamping station to create your own postcards with my Helsinki illustrations on mould-made paper. Enjoy and Make! Address and more info straight from the Museums site: Hakasalmi Villa

Stamp your own postcards.