Finally: Thesis is printed, bound and ready to be submitted :)

After a long and interesting journey, this master's thesis is finally ready for submission. Yesterday I could pick up it up from the bookbinder. Lots of handwork also in the binding. But I think the result looks good :) I m very happy, thanks again for everyone involved in the project. I would be glad to share the thesis with anyone interested, just drop me a line al.hirscher{at}gmail.com and I ll send you the preview PDF.

Some images plus abstract below. 
Next week I ll be presenting some research result at 'crafting the future' in Gothenburg, I am quite excited and nervous already... Looking forward to whats next!!!!


Joyful participation in new ways of designing and making clothes. 
Enabling person-prodcut attachment to potentially reduce unnecessary consumption. 

Abstract

This master's thesis investigates design opportunities to motivate and enable sustainable consumer behaviour, especially regarding wasteful fashion and clothing consumption. A literature review provides a theoretical framework and builds background knowledge for three explorative case studies. These practice-led case studies gradually increase the user-involvement in sustainable consumption behaviour. Each case study elaborates a particular research question, evaluating the opportunities to change consumer behaviour with a different design approach. The case studies build upon one another, thus the third case study is discussed in most detail. Selected findings from these three case studies provide an insight to the possibilities of design for person-product attachment with participatory design concepts like 'half-way products': design objects which are intentionally 'unfinished'.

The conclusion drawn is that designers can enable a joyful participation in clothes making, for example with half-way products, and thus foster a stronger emotional value towards garments. This emotional value is likely to facilitate a stronger person-product attachment and encourage longer lasting products. Additionally, the research shows that the participatory design concept – 'half-way product' was very much appreciated. The study concludes with possible future prospects.

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. 

Fashion-Hackers for more transparency and participation.

Fashion-Hackers is a new Fashion label, that does not center about the ego of the designer, but puts the client and user of the clothes in the center of attention. 

image from: Fashion-Hackers

Democratizing knowledge and skills as well as taking the fear of trying to make ones first design is a great approach which we have to consider as wonderful step forward or away from the fast and cheap fashion system. This blog post is about the 'Fashion-Hackers' and the designer behind it: Sophie Schmuckermeier. In the following email-interview, I (Anja) asked Miss Sophie (Fashion-Hackers) a few questions regarding her aims, ideology, people and their relationship to clothes and the process of her newly started business. As mentioned in a former post, the idea is about an open design process via social media, and after the collection has been designed, the patterns and making instructions can be found on the 'Fashion-Hackers' website. The brand as well as the website make curious and the easy to follow instructions seem to lower the fear of starting ones own project or at least, submit ideas for the design. I really wish Miss Sophie many participants for the new autumn and winter collection which is currently evolving via facebook. And I hope for more such concepts, as it helps us non-fashion designers to have a way bigger choice than what is dictated by the industry. Thank you very much dear Fashion-Hackers! Without many more words of my side, here is an extract of the interview in German and English:

Facebook page of Fashion-Hackers, voting for the new collection.

Anja 

Wie kamst du auf die Idee deine Schnitte und vor allem die Modekollektion zusammen mit den Konsumente zu gestalten? Hast du dich in deinem Studium schon mit der Idee beschäftigt? Z.b. mit Fashion Activism od. Hacktivismus?

 How did you come up with the idea to use co-design as a tool to develop your collections together with the consumers? Did you get in touch with Fashion Activism or Hacktivism during your studies?

Fashion-Hackers

Nein, eigentlich habe ich mit dieser Szene überhaupt nichts zu tun und auch erst nachdem ich die Idee hatte, angefangen mich damit zu beschäftigen. Ich will aber auch nicht zu viel Ideologischen Überbau um Fashion-Hackers machen. Es soll einfach Spaß machen und ein Hobby sein... ist doch albern zu denken man könnte mit Mode die Welt verändern?!

No, actually I was not involved with that scene, only after I had the idea, I started to look into it. But I do not want to make a ideological brand of the Fashion-Hackers. It should be fun and be a hobby... in my point of view it would be funny to think fashion could change the world?!

Anja

Was denkest du generell darüber ob Menschen ihre Beziehung zu Kleidungsstücken ändern wenn sie sie selbständig anfertigen? Oder wenn sie wie in diesem Falle ein eindeutiges Mitspracherecht am Design haben. 

Generally, what do you think about the possibility that people change their relationship towards their garments if they have made them? Or, as in your case, have a clear choice and voice in the design and making process.

Fashion-Hackers

Ich glaube das ändert die Einstellung sogar ganz gewaltig! Diesen Wandel habe ich an mir selber, aber auch bei vielen Freunden beobachtet, die angefangen haben Kleidung selber zu nähen.

Erstens merkt man plötzlich wie viel Zeit es kostet so ein einfach T-Shirt ordentlich zu nähen und wie unmoralisch ein Preis von 5-10€ pro Shirt daher ist. Man baut also nicht nur zu seinem selbstgenähten T-Shirt eine wesentlich höhere emotionale Bindung auf, sondern lernt auch den echten Wert von gekauften Kleidungsstücken besser zu schätzen.

Durch das Mitspracherecht wird die Beziehung natürlich sogar noch mal zusätzlich verstärkt. Die Idee war Jedem die Möglichkeit zu geben seine eigene Mode zu machen. Hätte ich alleine im Geheimen die Kollektionen gemacht und aber so getan wie wenn man bei Fashion-Hackers selber Designer seien kann, wäre das irgendwie verlogen gewesen. Jetzt geht es wirklich um die Community und der ganze Prozess ist 100% transparent. Das schafft Vertrauen und ich hoffe, dass ich mit diesem Vertrauen, dass ich den Leuten entgegenbringe, eine Basis schaffen kann auf der sie das Selbstbewusst sein haben von ihren Ideen zu erzählen. Dieses gegenseitige Vertrauen ist nämlich nicht so selbstverständlich! Ich würde meine Ideen zum Beispiel nie einem Modelabel mitteilen zu dem ich kein Vertrauen habe...

I believe that this changes the perception a lot! This change I have seen happening with myslef as with many of my friends, who have started to make their own clothes. First of all, you realize how much time is necessary to properly sew a simple T-shirt and how unethical a price of 5 to 10 euros is. This means, people do not just value their self-made items more, but also learn about the real value of a purchased item.

By offering a voice, during the design process, the emotional bonding will be additionally strengthen. The idea was to give the chance to everyone to make their own fashion. If I would have made the collection behind closed doors, but speak about transparency and participation, this would have been a real lie! Now, its really about the community and the whole process is 100% transparent. This builds a base for trust and I hope, that with this trust I offer to the people, I can create a base for open and self confident idea exchange. This mutual trust, is not that natural! For example, personally I would not tell my ideas to a fashion label, that I do not trust.

Anja 

Werden selbständig oder teilweise selbst entworfene Kleidungsstücke mehr wertgeschätzt/ geliebt und werden daher länger getragen?

Do you think that self- or partly self- designed clothes are more valueable and more loved by the owners and therefore worn over a longer period of time?

Fashion-Hackers

Das kann ich so pauschal nicht beurteilen. Ich glaube man ist auf jeden Fall stolzer dieses bestimmte Teil zu besitzen und fühlt sich gestärkt in seiner Außenwahrnehmung. Kleidung ist in gewisser Weise auch eine Art Sprache über die wir ohne Worten kommunizieren... zum Beispiel: wer wir sind, was für Laune wir haben, was wir uns leisten können, wie wichtig wir uns fühlen und so weiter. Da man Kleidungsstücke aber meistens nur fertig kauft ist das wie wenn man vorgeschrieben bekommt welche Wörter man benutzen darf. Bei selbstgenähter Kleidung hast du stattdessen das ganze Wörterbuch zur Auswahl.

I can not say this right away. But I believe that people are definitively more proud to own such a piece and one feels stronger towards the perception of the society. Clothes are in some way like a language, that communicates without words... for example: who we are, what mood we are, what we can afford, how important we feel and so forth. Though, as we usually buy clothes ready made, this is like restricting which words to use. If you sew and design the clothes yourself, its like u have the whole dictionary to choose from.

Anja 

Mit deiner Idee möchtest du hauptsächlich die Arbeitsweise der Modeindustrie verändern oder auch das Verhalten der Konsument? 

With your idea, you mainly want to change the way the fashion industry works, or also the behavior of the consumers?
 

Fashion-Hackers

Wie eingangs erwähnt denke ich nicht, dass man mit Mode die Welt verändern kann und es ist ja auch utopisch zu glauben, dass plötzlich alle ihre Kleidung selbst nähen.

Mir persönlich geht es eigentlich weniger um den Konsum noch um die Arbeitsverhältnisse sondern mehr um die Autonomie des Kunden. Henry Ford hat über seine erstes Auto einmal gesagt der Kunde könne es in jeder gewünschten Farbe bekommen... vorausgesetzt sie ist Schwarz. Und genauso ist es Kleidung zukaufen! Fashion-Hackers handelt davon sich nicht mit einer Auswahl von Schwarz, Grau und Braun zufrieden zu geben und sich auch nicht einreden zulassen man müsste 3 Jahre Modedesign studieren um ein cooles Kleid zu entwerfen!!!

As mentioned at the beginning, I do not believe that fashion can change the world, and its like an utopian idea that suddenly everyone is sewing their own clothes. Personally, I do mostly care about the autonomy of the client, not so much about the consumption or the working conditions. Henry Ford, once said about his first car, that the client can have any color he/she prefers, as long as its black... And the same thing happens with clothing! Fashion-Hackers is about not being satisfied with a selection of black, grey and brown, and to be self-confident enough to not believe that one has to study 3 years of fashion design to be able to design a cool looking dress!!!

Open Fashion and Fashion Activism/ Hacktivism

The internet as a contemporary and powerful medium is offering a great benefit in spreading knowledge and information. It offers the direct contact and exchange between wearer and designers. Downloadable patterns including sewing-instructions are about to become more and more popular. Fashion-designers can explore new creative ways for a more open approach. The do-it-yourself Fashion doesn't need to imply that the user is unable to buy products, but is interested in choosing ones own designs, over what is picked for us by the industry. The ability of sewing and creating ones own clothing, provides people with freedome of the industry. 

 

In the 50ties, Aenne Burda founded a Fashion Magazine in Germany: 'Burda Mode'. The Magazine was the first fashion title that included besides the new seasons trend, actual sewing patterns in the back of each issue. This meant a lot of freedom for the people at that time, they were able to sew and wear fashionable clothing even with maybe a smaller budget. 

early edition 'Burda Mode'

Slowly designer rediscover the idea of selling their patterns aside to the products. This form of openly sharing the design, can definitively be called fashion activism, as they leave the consumer the space to use their design but change it according to their own preferences in choice of the fabric and personal additions. For example, SANS from France offers patterns of some of their fashion line to be sold and downloaded. Over that 'diy-Couture' from the UK offers a whole collection with extremely simple patterns to be bought in the form of little illustrated booklets with very detailed informations on the process. The newly founded brand 'Fashion-hackers', based in Germany, promotes the same idea of a downloadable collection, where u pick and pay for each pattern you download. The sewing tips and instructions can be found for free on the companies blog. Especially positive is here the creation of the next seasons design. Through social media they invite everyone to participate, vote and contribute with personal wishes and ideas. Each projcet has a bit different concept, though the main idea stays the same. Open source Fashion is a major step towards a shared understanding and enabling the consumer's to become active makers. Exemplary in this area are the Openwear foundation supported through the European Union and Shareware (shrwr). Openwear Collaboration, Pamoyo and Sharewear freely share their Designs under Creative Commons licence. 

Screenshot from 'Fashion-Hackers' website.

 

Fashion for activating the consumer.

SANS is one business example among others, like 'DIY couture' that are starting to shift and rethink the currently existing system of fashion. Their approach is supporting the thought of opening up the closed circles of ready made clothing, towards including the user within the process and making. It positions the consumer in a mindset of understanding and involvement, which means to go a major step towards a slower and more sustainable fashion industry.

SANS collection - image from http://gliving.com

Lika Volkova, co-founder and designer at SANS points out in a video (http://www.youtube.com/sansatelier) that she does not consider the brand as an eco-brand in itself, questioning if any clothing brand at all can call themselves eco, as in general their aim still is production and sales of garments no matter if they are made with organic fabric, or recycled materials. It still means new circles which use resources for production, transport, storage etc. The label offers downloadable fashion patterns, which are good to understand with the help of nice illustrations. They offer plenty of freedom to add details and change the design by the maker.

The idea is staying the same, wether it is extravagant fashion or everyday garments. In my opinion, the vision L. Volkova is pointing out in the video is interesting - she wants to see exciting fashion on the streets made by people - but the other side of it might be that people get easier fed up with the garment. As in general classics, are considered as the most longer-lasting products over all. But the idea - what you create yourself, has stronger meaning to yourself - definitively supports my thesis research as well. 

Multiwear Jacket by SANS - image http://gliving.com

I very much like their multifunctional jacket, which can be downloaded at their website. (http://www.sans.name) This approach might be more for the persons, which are already confident with sewing in one way or another, therefore I think the Half-way product I m working with is the first step, and downloadable patterns, depending on their detailed explanation are a second step towards a self made wardrobe. At least this is what I could so far conclude based on my research in the workshops. 

Further downloadable patterns you can find on DIY couture (http://diy-couture.co.uk/home.html). 

Summer Collection DIY couture - image diycouture.co.uk

Rosie Martin, a UK based Fashion designer approaches the matter of changing the fashion industry to a slower functioning with the vision of inspiring the people with her 'how-to' booklets. She offers booklets for each garment, that is part of a bigger easy to achieve collection based on classic pieces, that can be reinvented over and over again. The approach is great, as her technique is very easy to understand and follow with the detailed photography supported illustrations.

Making and sharing

Download and make :) After a successufl test-phase in the first workshop, I would like to share the pattern and instructions how to make your own tunic. 

The intention is, to research the possibilities of motivating consumer behaviour towards sustainability, by enabling the consumer with new skills to become active users and creators. The target group at the Recycling Fare was rather aware of the fact that there is plenty of material waste that needs to be reused, but the average participant did not think much about their possible impact. In fact, the half-way approach is not meant to be solely recycling design in the sense of using waste to generate new. In my opinion it is closer located in the area between customised clothing of the user, with partly design by designer and combined with the skills of the user. In this setting, all was produced locally in Helsinki, which was clarified in the small fill out-labels which I attached in the garments. The workshop and the half-way clothing item is designed to make it together. Either with the help of Designers, or with friends and family. This aspect I wish to emphasize by sharing pattern and instructions on this blog. For this reason I kindly ask everyone who is downloading the pattern to give me feedback and sends me an image of the process, or tunic variation they have completed. I would be very glad to see and hear your stories. Please email to al.hirscher(at)gmail.com

Of course there are several variations possible. Get some inspiration with the attached images and instructions. Also various levels of difficulty are included. For more info please download the Make{able} posters here:

Poster with Instructions

 Or a booklet with photographs and very detailed explanations can be found when following this link:

Download Booklet

 
The Pattern for the Tunic 02 can be found here: Tunic_02 download

'Make the people make'

at Kamppi (image by Siivuous Päivä)

Does making result in a closer product-attachment and through that has the impact of changing peoples attitude and behavior towards their shopping habits? This is one of the main questions I wish to follow up during my thesis research. As I mentioned before, the general feedback of the Make{able} - capable of being made (def. by the dictionary) - workshop was extremely positive, and in the hype of making, the participants were sure they will change their perception and attitude towards clothes. But how to keep up the image and feeling in ones mind for a longer time and in the bigger scale it is of course not only trying to change the attitude towards clothes, fashion and the service provided by the clothing industry, but make the customers aware of each story behind the things they purchase. Most of us, have lost the knowledge and skill to evaluate the amount of work, and resources used during the process of making the items, which are so easily and cheaply available in the next by store.
Is there a way to constantly keep the issue up, rise awareness and at the same time actually provide the opportunity of making things by oneself. If thinking now only on clothing, skills, tools and material needs to be provided, as well as the space. But it is not a Mission impossible in my eyes.

balloon kinda skrit

Like mentioned before we are just in the time were the making-culture is on its way back, just spotted yesterday in Helsinki an amazing sewing-workshop outdoors in lovely sunny weather. It seems the city and its inhabitants are willing and interested to gain back places and skills for making things themselves. The spirit of the place was the same inspiring as on the workshop I was organizing on the weekend. To see and feel people gathering, making and helping each other within a nice setting is just the best thing to end a busy working day for example. Through exchange among the participants and workshop leaders lovely items of recycled fabric were made. I think its not only about sewing, that it brings up that feeling of understanding and change of attitude, whichever way or material will be used, the making together can be one of the facilitators that bring the change. And that is what we as designers should keep in mind. Involve the future user in that process as much as possible. I of course had to participate a bit myself, and made a multi-functional skirt/top for the summer as well as a little shirt.

as a small dress or top.

shirt kinda thing.

The event was related to the upcoming  Siivuous Päivä. "Cleaning Day will convert cities into giant flea markets on Saturday 12th of May. Anyone can sell or donate their furniture, clothes, gadgets and more, right on the street, and shop new ones from their neighbors. During this neat day one can also sell anything self-made." http://siivouspaiva.com/