Wednesday 7 December 2022

MASCOTS at FASHIONCLASH Festival

Within the framework of Fashion Makes Sense program of FASHIONCLASH, the MASCOT project was organized.

Within the theme of the campaign image of the 14th edition of FASHIONCLASH Festival, a number of workshops were organized where non-professionals, mostly young people, were invited to create their own mascots. Not like the typical mascots, but avant-garde creations that represent something you stand for and are passionate about. Mascot is an object that the owner believes will bring good luck. Also clubs, companies and associations sometimes have their own mascots.
Driven by the spirit of the FASHIONCLASH community – from volunteers to coaches to performers – the festival campaign was centered around the people who have played an important part in the existence and development of FASHIONCLASH Festival, going back to the early start in 2009. Each individual is captured in a surreal locker room, where they prepare themselves for the next game – the 14th edition of FASHIONCLASH Festival.

In line with the FASHIONCLASH Festival campaign theme (see video below) a mascot turned out to be a very suitable way to include non-professionals, young people and students.




One of the workshops took place at the Toneelacademie Maastricht (Theatre Academy) was provided by Branko Popovic of FASHIONCLASH team. He worked with second year students from the scenography and costume department. Other workshops were open for everyone and took place at The Masters.

Eventually, 16 different mascots were created during the workshops, all representing a unique point of view. The results of all the workshops were presented during the official festival opening at Lumiere Cinema on Friday evening 25 November. Directing student Nicole Pul was invited to select a group of performers from the theatre academy and stage an interactive performance for the festival opening.



Ezri den Outer
For example, Loek de Jongh created Pacy Oce mascot for the 'Unseen creatures from deep down below'. it is a mascot for all the community of creatures from the deepest parts of the oceans that we can't not see and therefore fear. But perhaps they are the most friendly beings out there?
Jill Gielkens created Flopsy Huntington, that aims to help people with mental health problems by catching bad vibes or thoughts in his net. Pit Meurs created Sau that represents a harmony between head and body, between one's mind and one's physical appearance. It is a three-headed lamb head, with a feathered body and human legs and arms. Ezri den Outer's mascot is 'Kennis' (knowledge) as a representation of the concept of knowledge. The mascot conveys the properties of knowledge, such as wise, grand, welcoming, mysterious.
The mascot of Bonnie Verhoeven represents anyone who feels inspired or amazed by books. Or people who want to have more to do with books. Blikvanger (eye-catcher), masctot by Ylke Siemensma for the underdog. 'Blikvanger is creased, dented and damaged, but does not want to arouse pity. But show the beauty and the power that is in it.'
Laura Dreyer took it even further with a conceptual approach and made A mascot for pigeons and other coexisting things that are usually living around the humans. "In my mascot I reversed the roles of human and (coexisting) pigeons, practical for the pigeon, unpractical for the human. The pigeon house construction lives around the human but in it’s function the human has to adapt around it (or more inside it) merely functioning as the body for the “pigeon temple” the construction is a house itself (for those who accept it as this, a pigeon for ex.) Both the construction site and pigeon are unwanted in the street-image." Noë Verschelde's mascot Hermes was based on a deity from the ancient Greek religion and mythology.

Lastly, Franzi Keller made Ataxia (Telangictasia Mutated) inspired by the sun. "In a world in which people don't pay attention to sun protection, the ozone layer is getting thinner and thinner and the cancer patients are getting more and more, a group fights daily for the education and dissemination of information about protection from the sun's dangerous rays. This character depicts both sides of the sun, the dazzling and dangerous side such as the side that is vital to the whole world and gives life. To make the intention visible to everyone, the mascot works with one of the most important sentences, the sight."

nine mascots created with theatre academy students

Fashion Makes Sense is FASHIONCLASH's ongoing participation program from which projects are developed with a focus on social design, inclusion, education and collaboration of professionals and amateurs. In particular, attention is paid to the active participation of young people and marginalized target groups. In addition, from the Fashion Makes Sense program a screening of the participation projects 'MOVING PORTRAITS' and 'The Hooooooodie Project’ was presented at Lumière Cinema. The event included a talk hosted by Chanel Trapman (Mumster) and the project participants.

14th edition of the international and interdisciplinary FASHIONCLASH Festival took place from 25 - 27 November 2022 in Maastricht (The Netherlands). During this three-day hybrid (on- & offline program) festival, a new generation of designers and performing artists from all over the world are given the opportunity to show their work to a broad (inter)national audience. During the festival, work by more than 50 emerging and established designers and artists from different countries around the world was on show.

MASCOTS performance during FASHIONCLASH Festival
All images by Laura Knipsael



























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