New Fashion Narratives exhibition by Glamcult and FASHIONCLASH

New Fashion Narratives #1 @ Bureau Europa,
curated by Glamcult and FASHIONCLASH



New Fashion Narratives exhibition at Bureau Europa is an international selection of designers curated by Glamcult and FASHIONCLASH. New Fashion Narratives stands for the current generation of designers who see fashion as their mission. They explore the boundaries of their discipline, question social systems and specifically the fashion industry. With their works they move between the interdisciplinary domains of fashion, social design, visual arts and investigate the relationship with the user/consumer.

Participants:
Art Collective BCHMNN, Mehdi Mashayekhi, LABELEDBY., OUR SHIFT, Aurélie Defez, DOMINIK, Dara Benno, SUFI, Pablo Salvador Willemars, ZOLI, Denzel Veerkamp, Luca Berger, House of rubber, SCHEPERS BOSMAN

New Fashion Narratives #1 @ Bureau Europa took part during the 14th edition of FASHIONCLASH Festival in Maastricht.
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. The program with exhibitions, performances, talks and fashion film screenings and awards, showcases projects that explore, contextualize and celebrate contemporary fashion culture. 

During the festival, work by more than 50 emerging and established designers and artists from different countries around the world was on show.

Watch the exhibition here and hear designers speak about their project:  

 

Art Collective BCHMNN
NO-WEAR | Synaesthetic Sleeves

This ‘NO-WEAR’ collection challenges how physicality and wearability can be achieved with sound as a material, by transferring design information between our senses. At the centre of this work is the self-reflection of our own conditioned voyeuristic “gaze” which becomes a design language that is about unbiasing the visual we predominantly use to create design concepts for fashion.

This project investigates how we consume and read female focused visual data that is projected onto our bodies, by looking closely at information that are out of sight and by analysing cross-sensory connections between vision, sound and haptic. The ‘NO-WEAR’ collection captures the aesthetic of the “monstrous feminine muse” through sonic materials that form ‘Synaesthetic Sleeves’, which are intimate sonic fashion experiences that expose themselves through bodily reactions within each consumer and create a wearable alternative for intersectional identities.

During the exhibition, a cello player will enhance the experience by playing live when there is a crowd to play for.

BCHMNN is an interdisciplinary team of co-creators which shares feminist knowledge with users and produces fashion-based identity experiences through sound. Aiming to design digital clothing that creates truly haptic experiences and visceral sensations in the real world through auditory stimulation and multi-sensory design. We choose to create sustainable, non-invasive processes in terms of production by eliminating waste, increasing longevity of products and their accessibility, and by creating a socially sustainable image of female identity in fashion. In addition to expanding the real-world physical experience of digital-only clothing with alternative haptic materials such as sound, we want to broaden our understanding of what texture and textile for the creation of non-physical silhouettes can be. Our concepts and creations can be experiences through installation and performance and be purchased as NFT, vinyl and download.

LABELEDBY.
Infinity Of The Artificial Skin

“Within ‘Infinity Of The Artificial Skin’ we investigate how phygital fashion can play a role if a virtual social network such as the metaverse will mix with reality. We can imagine that if we also live in a digital parallel universe, this will ultimately affect our self-image and identity since the limits of our imagination are pushed. What feels right and what feels strange if our tactile perception changes?” ‘Infinity Of The Artificial Skin’ consists of 10 Genesis pieces. LABELEDBY. creates both a physical wearable as well as a virtual item that can be collected and worn in the metaverse. The prints that are implemented in the designs are generated by unique algorithms. To create the physical wearables, techniques such as 3D printing are used.

Created by a duo of textile heads looking to pioneer the industry using tech, Jessica and Fabienne started early 2018 by applying and creating 3D printing techniques specifically for textiles. Their combined passion for the fashion industry has led them to constantly push boundaries and show the world what can be created when fashion meets tech. LABELEDBY. is a very eclectic, creator led organization grown to a dynamic collective. LABELEDBY. creates, curates and demonstrates new ways of identifying oneself by making unique combinations between fashion and technology. 

House of rubber
Lady in rug

What if we set aside the conventional and relished in the wondrous universe of the in-between? ‘Lady in rug’ explores the boundaries of fashion, objects, the human body and its environment. Does the body conform to the object, the object to the body or the body to the environment? The interaction between the sculpture and the viewer is intrinsic to the work: the object, while being captivating and tactilely inviting, challenges the binary distinction between disciplines. ‘Lady in rug’ aims at humanizing the object, objectifying the body and deterritorializing creative disciplines. The sculpture challenges our traditional perception of the above-mentioned elements by blurring their distinctive characteristics and altering their DNA. New plasticity is explored by stretching and negotiating their limitations and extremities.

House of rubber is a creative studio and place for interdisciplinary artistic practice, located between the realms of fashion and sculpture. The studio’s unrestrained fascination with absurd materials and a desire for experimentation translates itself into an end product which lies between fashion, object and the human body. The tactility of House of rubber’s work invokes interaction – the spectator becomes a participant. The studio’s vision lies in the area where contemporary fashion design meets other disciplines. House of rubber believes in the power of fashion but aims to step outside the usual paths of traditional design and let go of the ideas of what fashion should be.

OUR SHIFT
F* ucking Stop Burning Clothing

“The fashion industry burns 94 million tonnes of clothes globally every year. Therefore, we call out “F*CKING STOP BURNING CLOTHES! The collection calls for a change and raises awareness the issue of burning clothes. Why are we even talking about sustainability, when clothes, fabrics - even those that were "sustainably made” are burnt in millions of tonnes?” OUR SHIFT took deadstock fabrics and invented a technique called “Fire-Piping” that creates shapes on clothes that resemble fire. With this technique, they are offering a thought-through solution to prevent burning of clothes with upcycling, and thus end overproduction. The collection is activistic and provocative, as it is inspired by the style called Soviet Brutalism and uses colours that invite for a further debate.

From Royal Danish Academy - Milan and Barbora launched the activistic fashion brand OUR SHIFT. The designer duo based in Copenhagen wants to shift the fashion world into a more responsible one. Through their activistic collections they are creating awareness about the problems in the fashion industry. By upcycling clothes, they prevent them from going to landfills or being burnt.

Mehdi Mashayekhi
Choub

‘Choub’ (it means wood in Farsi) has an abstract approach toward process of integration for migrants in destination countries. From an abstract point of view, a migrant is translated into a piece of wood, likely unconventional and inappropriate for a wearable garment (new social structure). The same story applies to a migrant; you arrive at your destination and the first impression is that you don’t fit in this new society as you did before. Stepping from known into unknown, it needs to shape other qualities in your character. Shaping and training the material to create a new structure (plywood for clothing), is a symbolic integration which is true for a migrant at this new destination. The core of a person always stays the same (hard like wood) as it was, but he is trained/ adapted to a new environment. From a technical point of view, technology is a tool for material manipulation. Wood remains wood, but its archetype image as a hard material has changed in this project. This story focuses on a crossover between art, science, technology and craftsmanship. Mehdi Mashayekhi has a background in chemistry and after graduating from ArtEZ University of the Arts in the Netherlands, he tries to address social problems with his work in a poetic way. His passion for material development and high-tech techniques shapes his vision with the medium of abstract clothing and design objects.

 

Aurélie Defez
eAt ThE RicH

In fashion, garments and aesthetics emerging from popular classes have become a model of reference for luxury brands. However, by offering these appropriations at unaffordable prices, these brands confirm their elitist position in the disposition of a legitimate taste. eAt ThE rIcH is a collection of garments that aims to take a satirical look at the commodification of popular cultures. Quotes taken from internet memes are embroidered onto clothing and accessories historically associated with popular classes, creating an ambiguous narrative around these symbols. By combining cheap garments with embroidery, the project aims to challenge a hierarchic organisation of tastes.

Aurélie Defez is an artist and designer placing her practice between design and research. Through her work, she seeks to expose societal issues related to design by giving shape to manifest objects. She has a strong interest in issues related to the relationship between aesthetics and economics. By establishing a visual and material language, she wants to engage a critical discourse, at times ironic, even sarcastic, about the place and role of designers today. She hopes that these questions will also resonate with others as well.



SCHEPERS BOSMAN
23SS Installation

Drawing inspiration from the Limburgish flag and banner heritage of the Southern Netherlands, the SCHEPERS BOSMAN 23SS collection features geometric shaped garments, with seam detailing and irregular pattern cutting, emphasizing the construction of each piece. Presented as the 23SS hanging installation, a modern take on the mine’s wardrobe arrangements, it represents the communal labour, as well as the individual behind the uniform. Crafted mainly from unique Dutch made denim and cotton, all garments are designed, developed and manufactured in the Netherlands.

SCHEPERS BOSMAN is a Dutch fashion designer duo consisting of Sanne Schepers (1989, Heerlen, the Netherlands) and Anne Bosman (1988, Amsterdam, the Netherlands). Sanne Schepers and Anne Bosman both graduated with honors in 2011 from ArtEZ University of the Arts in Arnhem, BA fashion design. Schepers continued her studies at the Institut Francais de la Mode in Paris. Bosman graduated from Central Saint Martins London, MA Menswear, before starting their collaboration named Schepers Bosman in 2017. All Schepers Bosman garments and collections are designed, developed and produced in the Netherlands. SCHEPERS BOSMAN lives and works in the Southern Netherlands.






Pablo Salvador Willemars
Beste Reizigers, coupé 002

Portrait installation of a conversation between individuals in a silent train coupé. The passengers are dressed in the collection ‘Beste Reizigers’ (dear travelers) telling the Dutch story of the culture of hectic contemporary train travel. Seated on first class train seats from a NMBS M2 carriage, wearing a two-piece waterproof uniform with yellow service hat and NS ashtray metal handbag and repurposed nylon bias-cut dress with a vegan leather square and a backpack shoulder piece.

Named after ‘Pablo Picasso’ and ‘Salvador Dali’, Pablo Salvador Willemars was born in Utrecht, The Netherlands in 1997. After their education in menswear and tailoring they enrolled at the age of 19 at the renowned fashion academy in Arnhem where they graduated with their Bachelor collection ‘Beste Reizigers’. Being intrigued by everyday life led Pablo Salvador to experiment with the “readymade”, creating work with existing materials. Using textiles from the Nederlandse Spoorwegen (Dutch railway operator), train seat coverings, a denim pant and a foldable bike to visualize their story.

ZOLI
CLASH

‘CLASH’ is a collection inspired by a collage of two cultures, a relatable experience for many, which showcases the dual identity of the designer. Dipping into her own upbringing, ZOLI is taking the silhouette of ‘90’s Austrian ski jackets and infusing them with Hungarian folk motives. The contrast of old traditional Hungarian fabrics, pillowcases and tablecloths from Transylvania, combined with vibrant sportswear fabrics, elevates a sense of two different, but equally complementary worlds. From the monochrome oversized jackets, which are a nod to more traditional menswear, to the colourful pieces that break up the collection, it shows the variety of effects that come together to form a self.

Fanni grew up in the United States and in Austria, to Hungarian parents. Through swimming for the national Austrian swim team, she was given Austrian citizenship. This colourful upbringing has shaped her life and identity and is the main source of inspiration throughout her brand, ZOLI. The brand's storytelling focus and “concoction” of garments illustrate the complexities as well as the celebration of living inside two cultures. Old fabrics from Transylvania and Austria are used by the designer not just to carry forward the narrative, but with the aim to shed light on old craftmanship that is used throughout folk wear. Fanni graduated this year from the MA Menswear course at The University of Westminster.






Denzel Veerkamp
The Rebound Parley

“My graduation collection called ‘The Rebound Parley’, is a translation of a critical view on my experience as a mixed person of color in a post-colonial Netherlands, alongside a manifestation against the destructive fashion industry. This concept initially came to be during my minor in Cultural Diversity. There I was introduced to the literature that ultimately formed the foundation of my collection. Intimate and intriguing cultural analyses triggered me to review my own existence and experiences as a black man growing up in the Netherlands, on a deeper level.” To protest the privileged perception of how textiles are being valorized in the West, the collection is made fully from post-consumer textiles, in collaboration with the Salvation Army.

Denzel Veerkamp is interested in deeper levels of socio-psychological analyses of growing up as a mixed person of color within the Netherlands and translating this within his work. “It is my way of freeing my mind from the white gaze it has been exposed to. I feel that in order to reach the point where everybody feels that they have an equal cultural contribution to society, the Netherlands needs to decolonize itself greatly. Expressing my emotions through critical research, textile alterations and a healthy dose of irony are signatures in my overall work and graduation collection. The techniques of collaging, mixing and literal mimicking are design approaches that keep recurring, since they have become the most powerful tools for me to open up conversations on for instance a stereotype-free society and other socio-political utopia.”




Dara Benno
ICOE Flood Garment

“What does it mean to adapt to a changing world? Climate change is altering the world as we know it.” By merging mundane objects with emergency capabilities, ‘ICOE’ (In Case of Emergency) questions how to integrate elements of preparedness into our everyday lives and how to increase a sense of agency in a world where we lack control.

Dara Benno is a multidisciplinary designer motivated by an interest in social and environmental issues. As a recent graduate of the Master of Industrial Design program at Rhode Island School of Design, she resides in Providence, RI but is from Albany, NY and has lived in Chicago, Madrid and Brooklyn teaching, making art and developing a human-centered design practice. With a background in fine art and linguistics, form and function continue to play a large role in Dara’s work as she considers how object meaning is interpreted and the importance of interactive encounters that inspire critical thinking.

Luca Berger
PLOOI

‘PLOOI’ is a sculptural work in which Luca Berger investigates how people are stamped on specific memories. In fact, some memories can have a huge personal impact, only for the outsider these remain invisible. With ‘PLOOI’ she will express these hidden memories engraved in their clothes.

Luca Berger, 18, is a young fashion designer from Amsterdam, the Netherlands. She has won Kunstbende Fashion in 2021 with her conceptual collection 'Property'. She has been working on several new projects, using mainly fabrics, now also moving into more sculptural works. Her main focus is about her and other’s identity and how people perceive this.

Luca is the winner of Kunstbende 2021 in the category Fashion.

SUFI
grandmothers, grassroots

‘grandmothers, grassroots’ is a small poetic presentation around the results of Sophie Nelissen's research on local sheep wool. For this research, she has mapped out some of the sheep and wool qualities present in her native province of Limburg, the Netherlands. From the wool thus gathered, she makes textile objects and products, while also telling the story of how these textiles are connected to the sheep, the shepherds and the soil.

Sophie Nelissen started her own label SUFI in 2020 with the aim of creating her favourite clothing items in a more conscious way. That means organic materials, natural dyes and small-scale, local production.



DOMINIK
Clothes Friends

“A quatro staggioni inspired by the styles of the local sub-culture. A local gang of bored students, stuck artists and friends that occasionally can be spotted on their usual hikes to the supermarket, night shops and pizzeria’s. This time we (partially) collaborated with Saman Khoshgbari (flour boy) from pizzeria ‘Da Nonna’ and the clothing brand ‘OASE’. We used his left-over stock which we “dominiked out” while working on our own collection. The pizzeria is the perfect location to show the collection “Clothes Friends”. Rather than letting work stand by itself we decided to integrate it all into an existing environment. Just like the concept of DOMINIK itself: adding patches and badges to preowned clothes, the fashion itself finds a spot in an existing context. Worn by some legends of Maastricht and the staff of ‘Da Nonna’, the focus lays on the individual’s complete outfit. We have a big plan to bring this all together in a jaw-dropping, mouthwatering presentation.”

DOMINIK aims for a wacky visual punch that actually seems “meant to be”. Working together like how musicians jam - mixing and matching in high-speed, making clothes as hot as pizza and pushing for unexpected logic, like a “pizza fritta”’. “We use preowned clothes or fabrics to connect our individual practices and keep hovering in between clothing and sculpture, concept and material, stupidity and genius, quality and value, pride and shame"

All images are by Laura Knipsael