tallinnturku2011 fashion*empowerment* project*report...
TRANSCRIPT
Tallinn-‐Turku 2011 Fashion empowerment Project report Ka; Reijonen 2011
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The beginning
Photo: Öyvind Strömsvik
The “Fashion Empowerment”project was born in October 2009 in Usedom, at the BalNc Fashion partner meeNng, originaNng from the discussions between Tuula Bergqvist and KaN Reijonen from the Novia University of Applied Sciences and Lilli Jahilo from Estonian Arts Academy.
The three fashion design educators felt that fashion awards and shows deliver too limited a view of fashion design as a feast of individualisNc creaNvity that has liXle or no meaning to the “ordinary” consumers. While high street fashion gets the main aXenNon in media and consumer market, many “real world” clothing problems remain unsolved. For instance, the elderly people and disabled struggle constantly to find clothes that would not only be funcNonal and pracNcal, but also beauNful and empowering.
To put it simply, it was felt that the mainstream fashion market does not cater the needs for the society as a whole.
The project is based on the concept of social design. In this context, design is seen as a methodology of creaNve problem solving where the aXributes of design process are employed to facilitate social needs. In Papanek´s words, it is design for the “real world”.
Social design is inclusive, catering the needs of all humanity, not only for the desires and excessive consumpNon of the affluent minority, as has been the case of market oriented design. Many terms refer to social design, such as design-‐for-‐all, responsible design or ethical design.
More of social design on: www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_V-‐zuDbO-‐k
The rise of social and ethical consciousness among designers in general has led to the increased interest for the parNcipatory, user-‐centered design methods.
In fashion design, subjected to the obscure noNon of “fashion”, defined by rapidly changing trends, mass producNon, media hype, celebrity culture and obsession of distorted body images, the co-‐creaNon, the interacNon (or co-‐creaNon) between the designer and customer is more complex. Clothes can, sNll today, be custom made and tailored for the individual users in atelier-‐sehngs.
Furthermore, fashion has become more democraNc in that sporNng the right “look” is not only accessible to the wealthy but also to the well informed, regardless to their social class. One can be fashionable with very liXle money as long as one has access to the informaNon of what is in and out at any given moment.
While fashion has become more diverse and democraNc, the supply of “fashion” in the mainstream market does not celebrate the diversity of human body. By far the majority of fashion labels focus on catering the desires of a very limited consumer group: young, healthy and slim women.
QuesNons of inclusion and design for all have not been high in the agenda of fashion design. The same applies to fashion design educaNon. While users are ojen consulted via interviews or moodboards e.g. in various func(onal clothes-‐projects, such as sports wear or work uniforms, the fashion students are seldom encouraged to address the needs of those who fit poorly to the body image of the idealized norm: young and healthy and skinny. The paradox is that majority of garments is designed for the minority of users, while a huge number of consumers stay in the margin.
The concept “empowerment” is much used today, so much so that it shares the desNny of the concept “innovaNon”: it has become an empty buzzword. In the context of fashion, empowerment is, however, rarely used. The quesNon that emerges is whether we should empower the users with or from fashion.
In Finland, the photographer Miina Savolainen has coined the term empowering photography. Savolainen´s method is to involve the objects of photographs to the creaNve process, and in this way give a voice to the oppressed and silent.
In her project “The Loveliest Girl In The World”, orphanage girls were given a possibility to design their portraits the way they wanted to present themselves, celebraNng the beauty and grace of the girls who had endured hardship in their lives.
Miina Sillanpää: The Loveliest Girl in the World
Fashion empowerment has a similar aim. Clothes have a huge impact on both how we feel about ourselves and how the others perceive us. While high fashion holds on to the norm of the perfect body, there are voices even in the mainstream entertainment industry, that echo the need to make fashion more inclusive.
Miina Leesment. Simple maths step by step
Miina Leesment. Simple maths.
An example of this is the popular BBC makeover reality-‐show What Not To Wear (2001), hosted by Trinny Woodall and Susannah ConstanNne. The show was not so much about sporNng fashion statements than feeling good about oneself by body flaXering clothing choices. It was empowerment with fashion. Similar iniNaNves are in the rise in media today.
Examples elsewhere To our knowledge, there is not research made on the empowering dimensions of fashion. In her review on Fashion as Empowerment-‐exhibiNon at the Metropolitan Museum Lisa Krichner (Artsy, July 06, 2010) writes that “C'mon. Fashion is pre9y nearly universally a symbol of entrapment. The high heels, the bras, etc. Sure, we can revel in being pre9y and sexy and s(ll be liberated, but by and large this is not how it works. (Not that I blame the messenger; fashion is a construct, it's not the mini skirt's fault that bu9 cheeks graze public sea(ng.”
The exhibiNon at the MET intended to reveal ”how the American woman iniNated style revoluNons that mirrored her social, poliNcal and sexual emancipaNon”. ExhibiNon website: www.metmuseum.org/exhibiNons/lisNngs/2010/american-‐woman
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The negaNve impact on fashion extremes on women´s health and well-‐being was addressed e.g. in the Victorian England with the rise of the Ra(onal dress society. And then there was the burning of the bras, of course, that became the symbol of the women´s liberaNon along the hippie-‐movement.
The costume of women should be suited to her wants and necessi(es. It should conduce at once to her health, comfort, and usefulness; and, while it should not fail also to conduce to her personal adornment, it should make that end of secondary importance.
Amelia Jenks Bloomer RaNonal dress society
A blazer with shoulder pads or body-‐scuplNng underwear can have an empowering impact on a person´s self-‐image on a very serious level.
Defining the concept
The Fashion Empowerment-‐team felt that Nme was right to open a new, more sustainable and human centered perspecNve to fashion industry, one that would exploit local tradiNons and indigenous innovaNons and involve the users in the fashion design process. In the first discussions the idea was to organize an internaNonal Fashion Awards compeNNon, with a high-‐level jury. This turned out to be too ambiNous an idea, given the short Nme and limited human resources available.
It was decided to start small, with a pilot compeNNon open only for the students of Novia and EAA – and conNnue ajerwards on an internaNonal level if the results are posiNve enough.
As both of the ciNes of Turku and Tallinn both held the European Capital of Culture-‐Ntle in 2011, the plan was to include “Fashion Empowerment” in the official ECC-‐schemes of both ciNes.
The name of the project changed a few Nmes, reflecNng the changes in the focus. At first the working Ntle was Turku-‐Tallinn 2011 Fashion Awards but when it became clear that compeNng was less important than the mutual learning and collaboraNon, the name was changed into its final Tallinn-‐Turku 2011 Fashion Empowerment.
The content of “Fashion Empowerment” was planned in detail in spring 2010 (see aXachment 1, project plan). KaN and Tuula paid a visit to EAA MA-‐degree show in May 2010. The project plan and parNcularly the schedule were discussed in details. A concern at that point was the funding of the project, but in October a confirmaNon from EU-‐project BalNc Fashion was received, and the “Fashion Empowerment -‐project” would be put into pracNce within the framework of BalNc Fashion, as a part of the WP4, the innovaNon network.
NegoNaNons with the Turku Cultural Capital 2011 FoundaNon about including “Fashion Empowerment” in the official ECC Turku2011 scheme were carried out in Turku during autumn 2010.
The project team discussed the quesNon of division of duNes between Novia and EAA on several occasions. The result was to organize the main events in Tallinn, to be followed by a seminar in Turku. The reason for giving Tallinn a somewhat more visible role in the project was mainly the more reasonable cost-‐structure in Estonia. Also, from early on, the Tallinn 2011 foundaNon was more cooperaNve in the discussions on including the project as part of the Capital of Culture year.
Turku 2011 FoundaNon was reluctant to give the project the official status even ajer the decision was made in Tallinn (and even though funding was never sought from the Turku foundaNon). The idea of organizing a Fashion empowerment seminar in Turku was torpedoed by the Turku FoundaNon and the more visible role given to Tallinn in the projects was quesNoned. The collaboraNon with Turku was problemaNc during the whole project cycle. The decision of including the project in the official ECC Turku2011 scheme was finally made in December 2010.
www.turku2011.fi/turku-‐tallinn-‐fashion-‐awards www.tallinn2011.ee/inimese_eripara_arvestav_mood_tallinna_moenadalal
GeBng going
Autumn 2010 Lilli Jahilo from EAA and KaN Reijonen from Novia met in Helsinki in one-‐day workshop to further develop the project and discuss the pracNcal maXers.
The biggest challenge was the Nming. EAA and Novia have very different schedules and working cultures and it turned out that it was impossible to find a Nme that would be perfect for both parNes. It was decided that the kick-‐off workshop would be held in March 2011 and that the students would work during the spring term and over the summer and present the results in the Tallinn Fashion Week, in September 2011.
A seminar with the theme Can Fashion Empower? was planned to be held in Turku.
How to present the results of the workshop was a topic much discussed during the project. A catwalk –type fashion show did not seem appropriate. The aim was to provoke discussion on the topic and raise awareness among the public and designers on socially oriented fashion design. There were discussions of website/ blog, posters, film, pop-‐up type fashion show in the outskirts of Tallinn. Finally the decision was made to exhibit the results in two exhibiNons, in the two Capitals of Culture. As the students were encouraged to apply user-‐centered methods in their design, they were expected to report the process in a blog.
The Kick-‐off workshop in Tallinn
The Fashion Empowerment Kick-‐Off workshop was organized in March 2011, 7-‐11. in Tallinn.
The Fashion Empowerment team wanted to start the project without strict limitaNons or focus on a parNcular kind of empowerment. We wanted to give the students free hand to explore what empowerment means for them.
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The workshop tasks • Choose target group/ follow the scenario. • Make a plan of acNon/ plan for meeNng the target group. • Research the parNcular focus group to explore aspects for developing the
collecNon. (Since we propose the target groups, we can already try to arrange meeNngs).
• Visualize the idea in form of inspiraNon board in poster format (A2) and include a short essay to explain your project proposal.
• As a group, sketch a brief collecNon for the target group, consisNng of at least 5 oufits. Choose relevant technique. Add fabric + producNon proposals.
• Each student will choose one ouvit that she/he will produce independently. • Each student will set up a blog that will be a web diary reporNng their research and
design development process throughout the project. This will serve as means of assessment and public awareness. All the links to blogs will be available at the central “home” blog of the project. (Lilli will do it)
The parNcipants Students: Novia Anu Corin, Jenny Elenius, Zarah Holmberg, Henrica Langh, Nina-‐Marie Vigård and Maria Wall (all 2nd year BA-‐students)
EAA Sille Sarapuu, Ester Soidla, Mari Maripuu, Marit Ahven, and Kairiin Ruuven, Miina Leesment, Liisa Orgna, Marta Konovalov, Heidy Eskor-‐Kiviloo, BriXa Laumets, Liisa Orgna, Ilona Tell, Vilve Unt, Eike Einama
The supervisors: Lilli Jahilo (EAA), Marit Illison (EAA), Ulrik MarNn Larsen (Borås School of TexNles), KaN Reijonen, Ritva-‐Liisa Alasaari, Berit Bragge (Novia)
The workshop started with introductory lecture on empowerment (by Dr Reijonen) and social design. The students were given the project brief:
Choose a group you feel is marginalized in the mainstream fashion market and design a collec(on with representa(ves of your target group.
The workshop conNnued with forming the groups, which was done through an exercise where each if the groups designed and made an ouvit of old newspapers, to present the groups visual style and design philosophy. A catwalk presenNng the ouvits was then organized and groups were given feedback on their designs. The groups started brainstorming for which group to choose. The mindmaps were discussed together and commented by peers and supervisors.
The students organized themselves into teams with both Estonian and Finnish students. Altogether six teams were formed:
• Tigusnigel (homeless people): Zarah, Anna, Julia • Root system (underwear): Anna, Karl-‐Johan, Maria • Textural visions (visually impaired): Henrica, Marta,
Ilona • Simple maths (breast feeding mothers): Miina, BriXa,
Anu and Liisa • Kim Wheel (wheelchair users): Kairiin, Mari and Jenny • Happy cap (wheelchair users): Sille, Ester, Nina
The next day the brainstorming conNnued. Ulrik MarNn Larsen and Marit Illison gave inspiraNon lectures, ajer which the groups developed an acNon plan for the work. On the third workshop day the students did research on their target groups and started working on the concept for their collecNons. They were expected to present the iniNal ideas as posters and on the last day, in the closing discussion the posters were discussed and given feedback.
The blog
During the kick-‐of week the groups opened a blog, the idea of which was to operate as communicaNon plavorm and also report the progress to the others.
To see the blog, please go tofashion-‐empowerment.blogspot.com
The process goes on
The Nordic Look
In the Nordic Look Fes;val in Tallinn 13 May the progress of the Fashion Empowerment was represented. Ajer the introducNon by KaN Reijonen, the students gave an update of their process. Päivi Tahkokallio, an expert in Design for All-‐issues, commented the proposals, which were then further discussed with the audience.
19-‐20. June 2011 Tuula Bergqvist paid a visit to Estonian Academy of Arts in Tallinn, for a checking up the situaNon. Most of the collecNons by the students of Novia were completed but there were quite a few drop-‐outs and it turned out there had been problems with the student collaboraNon. The blogs were not updated regularly and the communicaNon between Estonian and Finnish students did not proceed smoothly.
Instead of group entries, it was the individual students that had worked for their own collecNons. Of the 19 students that were onboard in the beginning, only XX completed the project.
One of the reasons for the relaNvely high number of drop-‐outs was that the idea of compeNNon. Some of the students regarded this as too stressful. This is the reason why it was decided by the project team to swij the emphasis on compeNNon into a joint learning experience.
In August the preparaNons for the exhibiNon in the Tallinn fashion week speeded up. Marit Illison was nominated as the curator of the exhibiNon. Hanna Samoson completed the documentary film and Tuuli Aule worked as the graphic designer.
The Tallinn exhibiNon In September 10 Tuula Bergqvist personally brought the Turku entries to Tallinn. The opening of the Fashion Empowerment exhibiNon was on Friday, 16.9. in the Rotermani business center (see aXachment). The exhibiNon was part of Tallinn Fashion week. There was a fair amount of media interest, and the project team was interviewed for the Estonian television.
You can find the (Estonian) press-‐release here.
The Tallinn exhibiNon was successful, thanks to the very competent Tallinn-‐team: Marit Illison, Lilli jahilo, Tuuli Aule and Hanna Samoson
It turned out that the social approach to fashion was new and thought provoking and considered as an interesNng perspecNve.
The Turku exhibiNon The Turku-‐exhibiNon was opened in 13.10. at the Turku Fair Center, as a part of Osaava nainen-‐fair, where Fashion empowerment had a department. As a part of the exhibiNon, there were interviews on the Conference stage. KaN Reijonen interviewed a wheel user MS-‐paNent Marja XX about her experiences of finding suitable clothes. The interview (in Finnish) can be watched here. On Saturday, Lilli Jahilo and an EAA student came to tell their story of the Fashion Empowerment project. The recording of the interview can be watched here.
The exhibiNon was open through the week-‐end.
The closure
In November 25th The Fashion Empowerment ending discussions took place in Tallinn, involving parNcipaNng students from Estonian Academy of Arts, teachers in Tallinn, one student from Novia as well as Tuula Bergqvist and Mari Krappala from Novia.
To close the project, the students that had parNcipated the ExhibiNons paid a visit to Marimekko-‐factory and met some of the designers in January 2012 in Helsinki. This was followed by a lunch and a group discussion.
The con;nua;on
HappyCap TSEKKAA LÄHDE
HappyCap moodboard
HappyCap Moodboard
InspiraNon board. HappyCap
Laura Lillem
Tigusniegel. Kick-‐off catwalk
Tigusniegel. Researching homelessness
Tigusniegel. Brainstorming.
Simple maths. Brainstorming
Only touch
Down in the bottom I hang in rhythm
Holding the water with a lonely touch Catch my ashes
Set upon the river See with no eyes and it is too much
Marta. Textural visions
Maria Wall. The Rootsystem. Moodboard
Kim Wheel. The persona
Kim is a 21 year old woman. She was in a car accident five years ago and ajer that she has been in a wheelchair. Kim is living in an apartment in the city with her best friend. She studies psychology. She like hanging out with friends, going to cinema, cooking exoNc food, painNng and is interested in fashion. Kim likes to be fashionable, but she can’t really find comfortable and nice clothes that fits her. She really like street style-‐clothing and read a lot of blogs. Kim doesn’t need help gehng dressed.
KimWheel. Colour board.
Kim Wheel. Colour board.
Kim Wheel. Kick-‐off catwalk
• I have found the fountain of happiness • I have found the merry spring • I have found the nature's mirror • in which I see beneath my skin