New Fashion Narratives exhibition - FASHIONCLASH Festival

Timothy Scholte
photo_Vladimir Vidanovski

New Fashion Narratives

How would (re)sources from the past, act in the present and create context for the future?

For this year’s exhibition program of FASHIONCLASH Festival, five independent fashion practitioners were invited by FASHIONCLASH to form a curatorial team and collaborate on the concept for the New Fashion Narratives exhibition that was presented at Bureau Europa during the festival 2023.

Starting the curatorial process with a Residency Week in Maastricht in April 2023,  Enzo Aïtkaci, Chinouk Filique, Jonathan Ho, Lotte de Jager and Boris Kollar decided to take a different approach: instead of focusing all attention on the final product, they prefer to highlight the diversity of creative approaches that are often hidden away as ‘process’. “We are interested in what is rarely made known to the public.”

Curatorial statement

How would (re)sources from the past, act in the present and create context for the future?

“What happens during the creation process? What types of creative references get used and lost? What are the different collaborations required in order to make one’s final vision come to life? We would like to explore how multi-authorship is represented in fashion and how to unlock new perspectives by zooming in on the creative processes.”
The bits and pieces you will see throughout this exhibition might not be in line with the usual fashion exhibition. You will encounter clothing without mannequins, inspirational references, material samples, mind maps, collages, paintings, and interactive experiences.
As we get a glimpse of what goes on behind the scenes, we get a feel for what inspired the designers and critical thinkers — their thought-process, the troubles they have encountered during the assembly, and the people or environments that have contributed along the way. As a result, the stories behind the collections are getting a well-deserved front seat.
Often in fashion, authorship is celebrated through one person’s name. Curating this exhibition proved once again that fashion, in any form — may it be publishing, designing, retail, performance — is a group effort. Our collaborative process with each other, but also with the participants of this exhibition, shows that creation flows in tandem, and it’s in these moments, the in-between, the back and forth, where the magic of creation happens. We collectively feel that this is a process that deserves more public attention.  - curators: Enzo Aïtkaci, Chinouk Filique, Jonathan Ho, Lotte de Jager and Boris Kollar.

Participants: Annalie van Doorn, avoidstreet, Azalja van Dijk, Bastiaan Reijnen, BAYARTAEV, CHAEWON KONG, FRANK & Moritz Ernst, Fynnandmathis, Ivan Delogu, Jakob Hodel, Justina Semčenkaitė, Kelly Konings, KKJ, Maria Gilmen, Roxy van Kemenade, studio allesingebruik, Svatopluk Ručka, TANJA VIDIC, Teresa Carvalheira x Eunice Pais, Tevin Blancheville, Timothy Scholte/Mary-Ann.

www.fashionclash.nl

Photography by Laura Knipsael, if not mentioned otherwise.

PARTICIPANTS

Annalie van Doorn
Aprés nous, le deluge

This collection is inspired by Annalie van Doorn’s grandmother’s extravagance, who felt the need to keep up her appearance. It’s centered around the psychological influence of social status, aligned with the abundance of contrast in our values and the irony of its expressions. Abstract drawings converted to innovative shapes are the core of Annalie’s work and are implemented in silhouette and print. The collection is almost entirely made out of waste material.

Annalie van Doorn
photo_Peter Stigter

avoidstreet
VOID

‘VOID’ is the latest collection of avoidstreet, which also features ‘tactility moodboards’ in the format of assemblage made out of cardboard, photographs and scraps of leftover fabric from the collection. These works have never been shown before and they are crucial to the viewer to understand that avoidstreet is more than just clothes. With VOID, avoidstreet uses a physical mechanism for building an environment, and a world around avoidstreet – allowing the visitor to reimagine the perfect museum.



Azalja van Dijk
'OP UUS AN'

The collection is about nostalgia and about changing the image of a garment. The starting point for the collection was Azalja’s lack of memory of her childhood. The nostalgia part is the constant factor in all the fabrics and silhouettes that are used. Five archetype clothing pieces are changed completely by use of fabric. For example, a motorcycle jacket is for protection, but what if you knit it completely? It is going to lose its protection abilities, as well as the image of a tough motorcyclist. Azalja translated old family pictures into knitted pieces and used old crafts to accomplish this.



Bastiaan Reijnen
VÓT’TETÈSJ

Bastiaan Reijnen likes to work with discarded materials and challenges himself to see what he can do to extend their life. “Often, we don’t realize the quality of the materials we have lying around.” Bastiaan wants to show the world the future within fabric "trash" through the use of hand-reparation techniques, such as sashiko mending (traditional Japanese embroidery) and decorative embroidery.

BAYARTAEV
Pukhondzha & Armed with Freedown

‘Pukhondzha’, is a refined interpretation of Central Asian paranja. Drawing inspiration from the vibrant culture of Uzbekistan, and the encounter with an unconventional winter in the region, this collection reimagines the traditional women’s attire known as paranja. At its core lies the iconic puffy paranja jacket, symbolizing a profound connection to Uzbekistan and its people. Historically, the paranja was a garment that obscured a woman’s identity, relegating her to a faceless figure in society, much like the anonymity provided by a contemporary black hoodie. This theme resonates throughout the collection, serving as a captivating focal point. ‘Pukhondzha’ invites you to explore the intersection of tradition and modernity, as Alexander Bayartaev navigates the delicate balance between preserving cultural heritage and embracing contemporary design.



CHAEWON KONG
Dare to Wear

Throughout history and into the present day, corsets, push-up bras and shapewear have shaped our perceptions of beauty. Hidden under layers, body-contouring clothes have long served as tools to conform to conventional notions of beauty. ‘Dare to Wear’ reframes these so-called ‘enhancement’ garments as objects that sculpt the body into nonconformist shapes. Elements once intended to restrict — boning, padding, and constriction — are used as features that empower. Assigning a liberating purpose to oppressive elements in clothing, this collection introduces a new approach to body acceptance. Instead of enhancing specific body parts, it challenges the notion that there is a single, ideal body type.



FRANK & Moritz Ernst
Life’s a dream

‘Life’s a dream’ is both the title of the research project and a reference to the slogan printed on a blue plastic bracelet found in the Atacama Desert in Chile. Bleached by the sun and covered in dust, jewelry artist Franca Ullrich collected broken objects and discarded clothes, to bring them back to Germany, where some pieces originally came from. The artwork is fragmented in time and encompasses video, photography, smell, and recycled jewelry made from scrap metal gathered from local junkyards. Molten into sand and highly polished, the casted pieces not only reflect an elusive shine, but a methodology of dealing with the corroding husks that are left behind. This project is a full-on collaboration with Moritz Ernst. They co-developed the concept - Moritz worked on the visuals, video and installation design. FRANK created the jewellery.





Fynnandmathis
Style Libre

STYLING / COMPOSING WITHIN THE LIMITATIONS OF WHAT YOU HAVE AROUND YOU AND WITHIN YOU

Fynnandmathis is a fashion design duo consisting of Fynn Herlinghaus (Germany) and Mathis Hadji (France). For them, fashion is no industry-ruled business, but a cultural phenomenon evolving from people and their daily dressing behavior. By styling existing clothes and working closely with communities, they create events in which fashion works as a tool facilitating exchange and empowerment.



Ivan Delogu
T'ESSERE

Ivan Delogu’s research embarked on a profound exploration of the historical and contemporary existence of women in Sardinian society, intrigued by the belief that Sardinia has long upheld a more matriarchal structure than the rest of Italy, especially among older generations, Ivan delved into the rich heritage that celebrated the power and resilience of women. Growing up in a predominantly female household, Ivan felt a deeply personal connection to this subject, drawing inspiration from the stories his grandmother shared with him – narratives that seamlessly intertwined the sacred and the profane, revealing the strength and wisdom of these powerful women.





Jakob Hodel
The Beautiful Game

Documenting (hi)story in textile has been fascinating Jakob for many years – in particular tapestries as an ancient, contemplative medium. Jakob’s research is centered around the role that textiles play in the ritualized staging of football. For example, the “tifo“ art that the football fans make or the mini tapestries that the team’s captains exchange before the game. It seems that not only the mediaeval concept of a tournament as a practice for war, but also its banners and symbols have found their way directly into the modern football world.




Justina Semčenkaitė
What's inside my research: fashion activism

This work is focused on activism in fashion, as Justina is carrying out research for her PhD called ‘Fashion discourse in the context of 21 century activism’. It is an extensive project that requires more behind-the-scenes work, rather than focusing on a final object. Being a fashion designer working with public knowledge is a constant battle. Trying to prove your work is as exciting and valuable as the collections we see on the runway. Keeping this in mind, Justina would like to present what it takes a do a (fashion) research - all the reading, writing, teaching, creating and communicating, all at the same time.




Kelly Konings
Hybrid forms of dressing

The work of Kelly Konings rethinks the relationship between textile and fashion systems through whole-garment weaving. 2D jacquard woven textiles that hold the possibility to be worn as 3D garments. Draped and folded onto the body, these whole-garment woven textiles urge the viewer to rethink the interdependent relationship between a textile and a garment. Besides the pattern, also the silhouette, labeling, stitch details, side seams, collars, sleeves, and pockets have been woven directly into the textile in a mix of local wool and deadstock yarns. With her work, she proposes a new and holistic way of designing and producing textiles and garments locally.

Kelly Konings
photo_Alva Nylander

KKJ
Dunusa: Life of a Garment

The project focuses on deconstructing and upcycling secondhand clothing, sourced from Johannesburg secondhand street market Dunusa, where all the discarded garments have descended from European exports. A mix method of experimental local artisanal crafts and indigenous influences native to South Africa are used to upcycle the garments, instilling KKJ’s own cultural sensibilities into the Eurocentric way of dress. The editorial prints and short film documentary accompanied by the garments, highlight the stark disparity between the global north and south, in which the upcycled and artisanal garments serve as a testament between opposing design ideologies. KKJ makes the garments as a form of protest and reflection of the western world's overconsumption habits that affect their landfills; solutions are created through nuanced constructed ideas of dress by promoting locality and African ways of dress showcased through print and film.
Three artist friends based in Johannesburg are constantly exploring and challenging the fashion narrative within upcycling and local artisanal crafts, through the lens of experimental editorials and docu films influenced by their South African cultural sensibilities. KKJ uses their immediate surroundings and interactions in ‘Joburg’ as a pool of reference, interrogating the shared experience and their own artistic identity. Using the past as a resource to reimagine tomorrow, they bring nuance to a global audience about art and life in South Africa.

KKJ_Dunusa/KKJ
photo_Jack Markowitz

Maria Gilmen
Wild West: Property and Profit

The exploitation of cultural elements of a specific ethnic group is prevalent across the fashion industry, which has profited from the techniques of underrepresented communities for decades. The rage that stemmed from her interaction with the artisans and communities that have been taking advantage of, overtook Maria Gilmen and fragmented her vision of the craft. This project aims to reconstruct the patterns and colors that represent the Mexican artisans. By rebuilding, healing from the rage, and by making space for hope and the recognition of the artisans who still love and hope, even when the spotlight is taken away from them. This project is about reclaiming the narrative. These unethical dynamics happen every day within the fashion industry, this project is an exploration on how the process (of healing) evolves through making.

Roxy van Kemenade
PHYGITAL WORLDS

In a world where the digital becomes more and more intertwined in our lives, we are still wary of technology and the digital life. With this project, Roxy van Kemenade is showcasing a way where our digital and physical lives meet. Can we have an interactive experience with phygital couture? Roxy created an interactive collection that combines physical design with digital/technological design, to create a unique and immersive experience. It involves wearable pieces that come to life when being touched and change their identity with the viewer, making them part of the new phygital world.





studio allesingebruik
Everything is fashion, and fashion is everything

“Everything is fashion, and fashion is everything” is a collage of archive material from various (un)finished projects. The archive consists out of self-created imagery and videos, as well as screenshots of inspirational scenes of (artistic) documentaries, YouTube videos, and popular tv-series, combined with theoretical text excerpts, self-written texts, and dictionary definitions to provide context. It also contains photographs and videos of sceneries in day-to-day public space. The technique of hands-on cutting and layering printed matter is used to make connections between images and theory and a way to open new perspectives to approach fashion.

Svatopluk Ručka
«Tu ne perds pas le nord»

«Tu ne perds pas le nord» (meaning “Don’t lose the north”) refers to the ability to sustain and navigate effectively in an unfamiliar terrain. Just like when a sailor navigates the seas, or when a hiker searches for a path through a dense forest. It suggests that one has a clear vision of one’s goals and intentions and is able to stay focused and not be distracted. A compass that strives to navigate in the dark, where silver linings are not-so-bright, or not visible at all. On one pole, the stitches touch new interdisciplinary knowledge, while on the other they line the effective unfamiliarity. This attempts to demonstrate strong connections of each interwoven thread.

TANJA VIDIC
Formerly Known Objects

The project ‘Formerly Known Objects’ explores the field of knitwear design through the integration of out-of-context metal objects. Through a combination of experimental techniques and a theoretical approach, inspired by material juxtaposition, the project explores traditional knitting methods by introducing foreign objects to generate new shapes, functions, and expressions in knitwear. With a focus on exploring basic knitting techniques, such as plain knit, partial knit, and intarsia knit, the aim of this project is to challenge the potential of these objects and create complex forms and advanced aesthetics that are unattainable through conventional knitting practices.





Teresa Carvalheira x Eunice Pais Heirlooming

‘Heirlooming’ is a practice of preservation and translation, in which doilies are transformed into a new design. Following the footsteps of the historical figure of the ragpicker, who collected unwanted textiles from households to transform them into new interior textile pieces, ‘doily-picker’ Teresa Carvalheira designs a process of memory transmission, by transforming family-inherited doilies into memorial, yet functional or wearable textile objects. ‘Heirlooming’ is also a visual chronology of preservation explored by Eunice Pais (PAIS.Agency), in collaboration with Museum de Kantfabriek in Horst (NL).

Teresa Carvalheira x Eunice Pais
Heirlooming_PAIS.agency

Tevin Blancheville
FODDER 22

Fodder 22 seeks to change your perception and inform you how geopolitical competition have been dividing communities worldwide with propaganda and disinformation.

Tevin Blancheville is a Curaçao born, Rotterdam based fashion designer. As a designer, he shines a light on various social issues, by putting them in a new perspective. Tevin’s goal isn't to convince you of his opinion on the matter, but rather sparks the fire that gets you to go on your own mental journey. He uses a lot of colors in his designs and takes pride in crafting the prints of his collection. Storytelling is his forte, playing with colors is his heritage.

Tevin Blancheville
photo_Brett Florens

Timothy Scholte/Mary-Ann
Mary-Ann: The New age Erotica

With this new collection, Mary-Ann focuses on different forms of dressing that make us feel more desired. The different ways that clothing relates to the body. How we use clothing to change our bodies. And whether we are aware of these changes. It also explores the paradox of hyper masculinity becoming queer. Mary-Ann explores this through the use of motorcycle culture and clothing. The leather clothing is meant to protect the rider, but also visually enhances the physique, adding a sexualised layer. With influences of retro-futurism Mecha (giant robots or machines), where the rider becomes one with the machine.