Susta inable Fash ion / KEA / Superv isor T ina hjort

january 20 15 / copenhagen denmark

T ibbe Sm ith

A great threat to sustainable development is the spiral of consumption prevalent in our culture today. In order to meet the demand for new products, more virgin resources are exploited from the Earth than it can actually offer. A strategy to change this, is for designers to make emotionally durable design and promote attachment to products through meaningful relationships. The approach in this project is specifically concerned with fashion and how the concept of emotional attachment applies to garments. The investigation of how designers can trigger a bond between the wearer and a garment evolves around making a collection out of recycled garments with emphasis on the aesthetic experience for the avant-garde fashion brand TIBBE SMITH for A/W 2015.

The concept of the brand TIBBE SMITH revolves around sustainability with a focus on design aesthetics, experimentation and transparency. Making ethical fashion and being transparent about all processes are core elements in the brand strategy.

The collection TARDIGRADOUS, which means slow-paced, is based on the research and analysis about emotional attachment and sustainable aesthetics and aims to create slow experiences. The research and analysis results in a set of criteria, based on which the avant-garde collection is developed.

The aesthetics of TIBBE SMITH is founded in a mysterious, apocalyptic Universe, with inspiration from the structures on damaged houses and a harsh, beautiful nature. The small collection consists of avant-garde androgynous pieces, most of which are showpieces. With an eye for high quality, aesthetically unusual designs and great emphasis the creation process, the development and processes behind the design are put in focus.

For both the brand TIBBE SMITH and this project, sustainability is a key element. Sustainability, shortly described, does not compromise human rights; it does not compromise the quality of life for other beings; and it supports biodiversity and does not harm nature. When working with sustainable approaches it is important to remember that it is not possible with certainty to tell if the approaches we are using can actually be defined as sustainable. In consequence, when using the word to describe methods or approaches, it is descriptive of an aim rather than being an ultimate classification of the

method or product I am referring to. Furthermore, when designing for longevity, we also cannot know if we are succeeding in making long-lasting objects. For this reason, it is important to work with methods that have minimal environmental and social impact.

However, as an attempt to challenge consumerism and our fleeting relationships with objects, designing for longevity is essential. Consumerism is highly emotional and is powered by our continuous search for self-expression. Things become signifiers of who we are. Especially our wardrobe represents our story, values and personality and can be described as a ‘museum of self ’. Fashion is a core object of our search for meaning and spiritual cultivation, but fails us time and again. Aiming to integrate the inspirational/spiritual level in the design, making the garments meaningful can meet this problem.

First we experience with the body and later with our rational mind. Our experience of the world is not independent from our bodies; rather it is essential to our understanding of the world around us and of our interaction with objects. This is significant when working with design and fashion, as aesthetics are experiences through our senses. By striving for enhanced aesthetic experiences, designers can promote a bond between the wearer and the object, as art and aesthetics are closely linked to our intuition and spiritual development.

It is possible to design a slow experience and prolonging the time it takes the wearer to decode the design by making intriguing design and creating a complex expression, which fosters a sensory experience through tactile surfaces. Furthermore, using handcraft techniques and hand stitching, the time of the design process is incorporated in the product and the designer and creators behind it are made explicit in the product.

1 . Introduct ion

2 . Problem Area and Problem Statement

3 . Methodology and Theory

4 . Del im itat ion

5 . Research and Analys is

5 . 1 Bus iness Analys is of the Brand T IBBE SM ITH

5 .2 Understand ing Susta inab il ity

5 . 3 Emot ional Attachment and Susta inable Aesthet ics

5 .4 Understand ing Wardrobes and Emot ional Durab il ity

5 . 5 Mater ials and Susta inab il ity

5 .6 Tact ile Exper imentation

6. Discussion

6.1 Sustainability and Emotional Attachment

7. Solution scenarios

7.1 Design Brief

8. Conclusion

References

Appendix a

Appendix b

Sustainability is no longer a strange or foreign concept. However, as a wide term, there are many different understandings of what it is. The understanding and definition of the concept is still being debated and defined, and there are many different approaches to sustainability and theories of sustain-able methods.

One approach is concerned with how and why we love our things. The concept of emotional durability is entering the design agenda along with the mega trend of sustainability. The argument is that over-consumption is a significant factor in problems we see today. To change that, designers must work with the concept of emotional attachment in the design phase. Rather than working with how aesthetics of objects makes people constantly want new things, this project concerns itself with how aesthetics can promote an emotional relationship with and prolong the lifetime of products.

How can I create a fashion collection made from recycled garments, which promotes

emotional attachment between the user and the garment?

How are emotional and sustainable aesthetics important factors when working with longevity?

// PROBLEM STATEMENT

It is interesting to investigate what constitutes emotional design and examine how sustainable aesthetics play a role in creating emotional attachment to garments.

Based on the theory about emotional and sustainable aesthetics, I want to create an avant-garde fashion collection from recycled materials, which promotes emotional attachment, using visual storytelling and incorporating the time of the process into the design. The collection will be designed for the fashion brand TIBBE SMITH.

// PROBLEM AREA

// METHODOLOGY

As this project’s focal point is based in the fashion brand TIBBE SMITH, the thesis begins with a description of the ideas and concepts behind the brand.

When working with sustainability, it is relevant to discuss what constitutes this concept and specify which definition I choose to base my work on throughout this project.

To find out what constitutes emotional attachment and sustainable aesthetics I compare the theory about emotional design by Jonathan Chapman with Stuart Walker’s theory. Furthermore, the philosophy Phenomenology of Perception by French philosopher Maurice Merleau-Ponty supports the theory about sustainable aesthetics by Kristine Harper.

In order to understand what constitutes a valued wardrobe it is researched what essential clothes it contains and what makes the wearer use it again and again. The Local Wisdom Project, a questionnaire about emotional attachment to clothes and three personal interviews will provide a better understanding of what matters in the relationship between a person and his/her favourite clothes. The questionnaire, being quantitative empirical data, is analysed using a positivistic approach, which offers the possibility of making general assumptions about people’s behaviours and habits regarding their wardrobes. The questions for the interviews are developed based on the quantitative survey and analysed using the hermeneutical approach and Edgar H. Schein’s theory about The Levels of Culture. Comparing and analysing the results from the above mentioned provides a better understanding of what matters in the relationship between people and their favourite clothes.

As part of the research experiments examining different handcraft techniques for creating tactile surfaces on fabrics enables an exploration of sustainable aesthetics and sensory experiences. To understand the importance of the bodily experience and emotions related to garments the philosophy of phenomenology offers the appropriate method of analysis.

Business theory• Business model canvas• Porter - Shared value Sustainability• Triple Bottom Line• Swot and Tows• Market analysis

Theory of emotional attachment to garments• Jonathan Chapman – Emotionally Durable design• Stuart Walker – Sustainable By Design

Theory about Sustainable Aesthetics• Kristine Harper – Sustainable Aesthetics• Maurice Merleau-Ponty – Phenomenology of Perception

Theory about wardrobes• Kate Fletcher - Local Wisdom project• Else Skjold – The Daily Selection• Empirical research: Qualitative and quantitative research, focus group interview and survey.

// THEORY

Based on the analysis of how emotional and sustainable aesthetics are important factors when promoting connection between the user and the garment the different theoretical approaches and theories are compared and discussed. Furthermore, the different ideas and approaches to sustainability, emotional attachment and longevity of products are discussed.

Based on the research and discussion I develop a design brief, which describes the concept of the collection. The objective of the collection and design is that the user will have fewer things, wear them longer and take good care of them.

The focus and framework of my project is the aesthetic development and experience of garments. Working with emotional attachment to garments specifically in relation to the role of sustainable aesthetics, can be characterized as slow fashion. But because slow fashion is an incredibly broad and very abstract concept, not necessarily descriptive of emotional attachment, I am not elaborating on it in this project.

Storytelling as a communication strategy is very interesting and effective when trying to establish emotional attachment. However, I am focusing on visual storytelling in garments, storytelling being part of the garment itself and how this promotes emotional attachment. I am therefore only mentioning storytelling as a communication tool briefly when explaining visual storytelling.

When describing the concept and core elements of the brand TIBBE SMITH I delimit myself from working with sourcing as this is not important when researching emotional durability in products. In addition to that I am not working with calculations and Delogue nor will I be making specification drawings. Moreover I delimit myself from researching extended user responsibility, since this is not relevant to the focus of the project.

5.1 INTRODUCING THE FASHION BRAND TIBBE SMITH

The mission of TIBBE SMITH is to offer avant-garde androgynous fashion with an eye for high quality, aesthetically unusual designs and great emphasis on the development and processes behind the design. When making ethical fashion, being transparent about all processes are core elements in the brand strategy.

The vision is to promote sustainable habits in consumers and facilitate an aesthetic experience, which will generate an emotional attachment to the garments. The aim is to bring sustainability into the back-end processes of fashion, making it a natural element of the development of the business and the design practices.

The values of the fashion brand TIBBE SMITH are based on the idea that it is possible to make ethical fashion, which respects both the environment and people while still being profitable. In order to make the fashion industry more sustainable it is essential that the idea of sustainability is not based on specific aesthetics but target a diverse audience. It is possible to create beautiful and well-made design with a distinctive design aesthetic in a responsible way.

// MISSION, VISION AND VALUES

The concept of the brand TIBBE SMITH revolves around sustainability. Consequently the business model focuses on sustainable principles such as the theory of Circular Value Chain and Triple Bottom Line; people, planet and profit. Focus lies on the design, this being the dominant factor when we buy clothes. The aesthetic Universe of TIBBE SMITH is mysterious and dark and the tactile experience of the fabric plays an important role. The expression is avant-garde with layers on top of layers and the design is androgynous, so the garments can easily be worn by both women and men.

// THE CONCEPT THE FASHION BRAND TIBBE SMITH

There are several business principals embracing sustainable values, and it is becoming more acknowledged that sustainable practices can affect the economics of a company positively.

Usually the success of a company is evaluated by looking at the bottom line where profit is measured in money. The Triple Bottom Line, also called the three Ps, represents not only profit, but also people and planet. It concerns itself with the social and environmental impacts of a business. The Triple Bottom Line is a great framework for businesses to use in a sustainable context. However, because measures are dependent on product, practices, cultures, stakeholders and more, there is yet to be developed a universally accepted standard for measuring the social and environmental effects (Slaper & Hall, 2011). Transparency is also influential when moving towards a sustainable future. When a brand is fully trans-parent about the different activities, practices and future goals, the brand builds trust, connects with and engages consumers on a higher level. Providing honest communication to customers can help develop general knowledge and understanding about sustainability and ethical practices, thus developing consumer patterns. When the values within a company are openly explained it offers customers the opportunity to make well-informed, contemplative choices when shopping (Krüger et al. p. 90).

Sustainable considerations in fashion are not limited to production, as garments can also have a big impact on the environment during use and disposal. Communication is a great tool to handle this aspect. Through communication on hang-tags and on the website, a brand can to a large extent minimize impact from washing, and information can help consumers to understand the effect of their behaviour patterns, for instance when it comes to disposal (Belz & Peattie, 2012, p. 83).

Sustainable and ethical solutions don’t have to negatively affect the profit of the company. Redefining profits and working with CSR or Shared Value can improve the business economics and quickly turn the cost related to changing the business into positive revenue (Porter, 2011). Some practices require little effort, such as changing the information on hang-tags, while others need an in depth look at company activities in order to detect in which areas change are needed. These models all propose systems to be incorporated in the business strategy, which can offer value to the company and offer a positive financial impact.

// SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS STRATEGY

In the UN report Our Common Future from 1987, sustainability is defined as:

‘Sustainable development is development that meets

the needs of the present without compromising the ability

of future generations to meet their own needs.’

(UN, 1987, p. 41)

This definition describes a sustainable development from the perspective of resources available to people. This explanation is considered to be an efficient outline of the message of the report and many refer to this when asked to define sustainability. However, the phrase seems to be inefficient, as it not possible to summarize a whole report, with many themes and messages, in just one sentence. Furthermore, the word need is debatable. Our Common Future explains that their use of need de-scribes the essential needs of people who are living in poverty. However, when used out of context, the word ‘need’ is not sufficiently clear.

Looking at Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, they can be divided into a system of priority, the basic needs being the physiological thus most important for life such as food, water, sex and sleep. Further up is the need to feel safe having a good health, family, employment and so on. As we go further up we find the need for love, friendship, family and intimacy. Self-esteem is supported by feeling respect from others and being acknowledged and is related to confidence and achievement. On the top is the need for self-actualization, characterized by morality, creativity and problem solving (Maslow, 1943).

// ANTHROPOCENTRIC SUSTAINABILITY

Sustainability is a broad concept, and the word can have many different meanings and definitions dependent on context and on cultural and societal understandings. For that reason it is relevant to explain my understanding of sustainability, as I am working with emotional attachment and sustainable design as sustainable methods in fashion design.

// INTRODUCTION

5.2 UNDERSTANDING SUSTAINABILITY

Living in a country like Denmark, many basic needs are taken for granted and this affects what is con-sidered needs. We are generally concerned with the top two categories in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Products to our satisfaction are even compromising basic physiological needs for other people; needs like health and food. Thus we are already in one and the same time period compromising the needs of others (Footprintnetwork, 2014). As we are living in a largely material culture where over-consumption is already putting the future of our Earth at risk, the explanation of sustainability as it is phrased in Our Common Future seems like an inadequate definition.

Our perception of sustainability is understood in an anthropocentric perspective (Chapman, 2005, p. 21). When we describe sustainability, we understand the problems and solutions in a perspective, which puts the human race as masters of the Earth and the other species that inhabit it. This is also the under-lying discourse in the UN definition of the term. The importance of other species and healthy ecosys-tems are described in the report, however, it seems as it is understood more as a necessity of existence rather than life in its own right. The consequence of perspective can be that we forget to respect other life, other animals and the Earth as being entitled to life as we feel the human race is.

Another challenge with our approach to sustainability is that we are trying to solve a problem with the same mindset that caused it in the first place. In Chapman’s opinion, sustainable design is treating a system rather than the cause. Design lacks philosophical depth and he describes the consumerist word as an inherently flawed system, which offers little if any respect to using recycled or biodegradable materials, as the system is still characterized by over-consumption (Chapman, 2005, p. 9).

Chapman further questions if we actually understand what it includes. The word sustainability is widely overused for everything around us, which in turn causes the word to lose meaning and become incon-sequential and hollow (Chapman, 2005, p. 23). Walker (2005) describes sustainable develop as a mythical narrative in society similar to religion because this narrative offers a completeness, an entire vision. Walker emphasises that seeing sustainable development as a ‘myth’ does not make it less important, but allows for us to see it from a different perspective. It is important to consider what this new narrative means in our society and for our personal lives (Ibid, pp. 26-27).

The findings and discussion in this chapter prove that the concept of sustainability is being used in a very broad sense and for that reason I believe it is important to clarify what is understood by it, when working with this term. Without knowing what a sustainable future looks like, we cannot identify solutions as sustainable, but we can identify which are not. This knowledge can guide us and serve as a frame for us to experiment with new methods and solutions, which with time can be defined as being unsustainable or not.

With a starting point in fashion, a definition of sustainability will be directed by the fact that fashion serves to meet not only basic needs of humans to be protected from the cold, but also satisfying needs for social status and belonging and needs of expressing ones personality, values and beliefs.

My view on sustainability, shortly described, is that it does not compromise human rights; it does not compromise the quality of life for other beings; and it supports biodiversity and does not harm nature. Sustainability is democratic in the sense that all voices are heard and respected, as well as the ones who do not speak, like plants, animals and Earth.

This perception of sustainability is relevant in all phases, from the beginning of the design process to the life of the product is over. In fashion, a concept is developed, a product is designed and from choice

// DEFINITION OF SUSTAINABILITY

There is no common essence in sustainable design. Many approaches have been developed, which vary with place, time, environment, culture and knowledge. As we do not know what a sustainable future looks like, we are not able to define whether one approach is better than another. Hence, we cannot point to specific sustainable solutions. However, as we are able to identify what can be defined as unsus-tainable, we can test new methods and solutions based on that knowledge (Walker, 2006, p. 119).

In consequence, an exploration of new methods, approaches and criteria are essential, but we have to be aware that we cannot define them as being sustainable (Ibid).

of material, and manufacturing process to selling, distributing, use and lastly disposal the impact of the product should be considered. As mentioned, we cannot define a product as sustainable, but we should define whether or not a product can be characterized as unsustainable.

However, as it easily becomes awkward to say that something may not be unsustainable, I describe my attempts and views as sustainable or ethical throughout this paper, keeping in mind that this is descrip-tive of an aim rather than being an ultimate classification of the method or product I am referring to.

Consumerism is highly emotional. What we buy reflects the person we see ourselves as, our desired self. Our consumer habits are characterized by our continuous search for self-expression. Through our products we express values, beliefs and choices. Things become signifiers of who we are (Chapman, 2005, p. 50).

Chapman (2005) talks about emotional design, associating it with romantic relationships. Thus products become a partner or lover. He calls the period after it has just been acquired the honeymoon phase. However, as we move so quickly from product to product today, it resembles more a serial of one-night-stands led by unrealistic expectations (Ibid, 63). Chapman’s solution is for designers to use strate-gies that can extend product life through interactive qualities, and in addition to that thinking about the environment as a user of the product. Further, designers need to consider the life span of materials; whether the material will outlive the desire for the product or the other way around (Ibid, p. 27).

In his chapter Enduring Artefacts and Sustainable Solutions, Walker (2006) examines what constitutes sustainable products over time and finds that tools, jewellery and religious artefacts are objects that hu-mans have used for at least the last 5000 years. As the design of these has changed over time, depending on trend, culture and context, it seems, that these are prevalent for people in general across cultures. He categorizes these three as being functional, social/positional or inspirational/spiritual. Tools serve to help us solve a problem; they have a function. Objects characterized by being social/positional help us show which social status we have, which group we belong to and so forth. Religious artefacts are objects, which represents the spirituality of people, the search for meaning and a higher connectedness.

// EMOTIONAL DESIGN AND LONG-LASTING OBJECTS

This chapter examines how aesthetics are important factors when working with sustainability and emotional attachment. I look at theory by Jonathan Chapman and Stuart Walker and further work with how and why it is essential to consider the aesthetics and the body senses in order promote emotional attachment.

// INTRODUCTION

5.3 EMOTIONAL ATTACHMENT AND SUSTAINABLE AESTHETICS

The shift to consumerism has caused a severe detachment form our products, followed by lack of understanding of the processes. This, in effect fosters a lack in value of our material goods (Walker, 2006). A significant problem today is that it is too easy in a globalised system to distance oneself from the effects and impacts of the production and manufacturing of our products when it takes place across the world (Walker, 2006, p. 167). With the only focus being sales and profit, it highly impacts the quality of design. As Chapman (2005) describes it, if a product with great physical longevity ends in a landfill, because of expired meaning, it is no longer durable design, but design of durable waste (Ibid, p. 53).

Trying to redesign our material culture is essential to move towards a sustainable world. When we value an object in a deeply emotional and personal way, it becomes precious to us and worthy of our care (Walker. 2006). The aesthetics are particularly important when working with sustainability, as people will not wear something they don’t like the look of, and the intention is to make clothes that people will love (Harper, Aesthetic Sustainability).

Harper’s approach to sustainability is to create aesthetically flexible looks, whether it be complex or subtle; subtle and understated so that you feel you will never grow tired of it; or so complex the garment continues to be intriguing and thus contains more time; it has a prolonged pay-off-time. It is important to give the user something aesthetically – a surface, an expression you do not become ‘done’ with (Harper, Aesthetic Strategy).

// CONSUMING EXPERIENCES

Walker emphasizes how important the spirituality is for humans and identifies a problem in society today. Rationality is prized much higher than spirituality, which is neglected, even devalued.

Art and aesthetics are closely linked to inspirational/spiritual stimulation. This last aspect of design addressing our need for spiritual experiences is overseen in design and manufacturing. Products are most often categorized by the first two; functional and/or social/positional, and they become quickly obsolete. Trying to combine all three categories in a design, so that it can fulfil several needs and further stimulate the need for spiritual development is a way to aim to prolong the short lifetime of products (Walker 2006).

It is essential for the future to create a bond between the design, the designer and the user, to ignite an understanding of the processes behind it. Sustainable aesthetics are about establishing a bond between the wearer and the design. It considers how, initially, people experience with the senses (i.e. irrationally) and how this first emotional experience becomes indicative to the subsequent relationship with the product.

When working with experiences of the body, it is necessary to incorporate the philosophy of phenomenology as the French philosopher Maurice Merleau-Ponty (1908-1961) has been working with it. Phenomenology is concerned with how we are present in the world, how we experience the world and objects around us.

When reading Merleau-Ponty, it is important to understand how he works with the complexity and depth of human reality. Merleau-Ponty divides the perceptual experience into three major elements: the subject who experiences, the object of the experience and the relationship between subject and object. The subject of the perceptual experience is the body; the object is the world; and the relationship between the two is consciousness (Marshall, 2008, p. 94). Merleau-Ponty believes that we first experience with the body and later with our rational mind, and that this first bodily experience is the significant one.

Thus our experience of the world is not independent from our bodies. He talks about consciousness as something that is bodily and he talks about the body as something that can think (Ibid, p. 60). We experience through our bodies, thus our experience is dependent on and controlled by our body. Merleau-Ponty’s perception is a holistic way of perceiving body and consciousness; we think and under-stand with and through our bodies. Mind and body are not two separate entities. In the western world, we are commonly used to think that the mind/consciousness thinks and the body feels. Hence Merleau-Ponty’s perception of body and consciousness clashes with how we are used to seeing the two. As Merleau-Ponty puts it ‘We should perceive ‘being-in-the-world’ as a proper understanding of the body’ (Marshall, 2008 p. 98). To observe something rationally is not to truly understand it (Qvesel, 2008).

// AESTHETICS AND SENSORY EXPERIENCES

Mood board on consciousness.

As pace increases, consequently experience decreases. Today everything is about speed and being busy has even become a measure of success. However, our chance to experience the world around us suffers from us being so busy. By creating a slow experience initiated by rich details that allow for perception to change over time, the designer can infuse an object with emotional attachment and promote longevity (Chapman, 2005, p. 78).

Walker’s discussion about what makes an object sustainable reveals that it is not simply about materials, shape of design or the scale of production. Integrating the inspirational/spiritual level in the design, making the object meaningful, can make it possible to surpass the tendencies of obsolescence, that are characteristic to the social/positional level. As previously mentioned, art and aesthetics are closely linked to our intuition and spiritual development, thus by going in depth, striving for enhanced aesthetic experiences, designers can promote a bond between the user and the object (Walker, 2006).

Harper explains how, as a designer, you can load a garment with time. The time of the process that went into the design can be shown in the finished product, and help creating several layers of the experience. You go in depth and interpret the subject of aesthetics and time. Working with pattern making, finishing techniques and handcraft traditions it is possible to promote this sense of time and put your-self as a designer and a person into the design. For instance by using the Japanese technique boro, you create a tactile surface, which carries a story that the user will never get tired of looking at (Harper, Aesthetic Sustainability).

// PROLONGED LIFETIMES

A way of promoting emotional attachment and sustainable aesthetics is incorporating the time of the process into the design. Through visual storytelling the designer can create a wordless dialog between the user, the designer and the garment. The user can feel the time of the process (Harper, The Aura of Things). It can help make the existence of the designer and creators behind it apparent. It creates awareness of what it took to make this piece of garment. Walker (2006) emphasizes the importance of making the design process tangible and making the existence of the designer explicit in the final product (Ibid, p. 171). The human behind the product becomes visible. Real hands are in it and this creates a sort of wordless dialog or connection with the user, which can trigger an intimate bond between the designer and the user as well as between the user and the garment (Harper, The Aura of Things).

However, working with visual storytelling and incorporating time in the product you need to be critical and cunning about who buys it. The idea of making the process tangible, making it evident, that hands made it, is not necessarily obvious to all. There are pitfalls as not everybody has the knowledge to understand the process behind a product, thus understanding how the product is charged with time. Therefore it is important to combine visual storytelling with storytelling as a communication strategy, in order to make it possible to tell the story of the design and the processes to people who can’t decode it.

// VISUAL STORYTELLING

Unlike other design objects we surrounds ourselves with, we wear our clothes directly on our bodies and thus have it with us all the time. Our clothes become part of us. This defines our own understanding of our selves and others’ understanding of us. Clothes work as an extension of our body (Skjold, 2014).

The fact that we experience and understand our surroundings through our body and senses before we make a rational, conscious realisation, also influences our choices regarding clothes. They are characterized by emotions. This corresponds with Skjold’s description of how we feel when we choose what to wear each morning. It’s usually something inexplicable, like ‘now it’s there’ or ‘this works’, and it is very much linked to how we perceive our bodies as well as our personality (Skjold, 2014).

// THE WARDROBE AS OUR EXTENDED IDENTITY

This chapter will focus on peoples’ relationship with their favourite garments. Else Skjold’s PhD thesis The Daily Selection is a great endeavour into understanding how people use their wardrobes. In the Lo-cal Wisdom project conducted by Kate Fletcher, many people have described why a particular piece of clothing means something special; the story of the garment, how people got it, if they mend it, where it tears and how that becomes part of the soul of the design and so forth.

In order to further achieve a thorough understanding of what constitutes our favourite clothes I have collected answers from a quantitative survey and conducted three personal interviews with informants representative of my target group, being women living in cities, with an characteristic and avant-garde style.

Comparing results from the different research enables me to better understand what is important for people in general regarding favourite clothing and specifically what my target group find essential in the wardrobe.

// INTRODUCTION

5.4 UNDERSTANDING WARDROBES AND EMOTIONAL DURABILITY

Fashion can be characterized by two of Walker’s (2006) previously mentioned categories: it is functional and social/positional. Clothes have a basic function as they keep us warm and further help us express our social position and belonging. The positional value of fashion items is tied to changing trends and functionality is continuously developed. Consequently these items become quickly outdated (Walker, 2006). Fashion as it is practised today fosters fake values, emphasising materialism as a way of achieving fulfilment and happiness. This causes us to continuously search for new things thus encouraging con-sumerism (Ibid). What we wear represents an enormous part of this self-expression, as placebo values are an inherent part in fashion. What we think fashion can offer the individual in terms of psychological and social fulfilment is a myth much more pertinent than the actual function (Chapman, 2005). There-fore, especially fashion supports the spiral of consumerism, which dominates our culture today and draws such negative impacts socially and environmentally (Walker, 2006).

Contradictory to the argument that we continuously search for new things in order to achieve happi-ness, is Skjold’s research. In her thesis Skjold (2014) follows the idea of our wardrobe as a ‘museum of self ’ depicted by Kleine & Allan (p. 31). Through this museum we develop our identities over time. The idea of our wardrobes as a museum and an integral part of our personal story contradicts the common conception in the fashion industry that people are controlled by trends and always yearn for something new. Research in consumerism shows that when we really love a specific piece of clothing it’s because it combines past, present and future. Our clothes represent our perception of ourselves over time (Skjold, 2014).

In the research from Local Wisdom with interviews with people from several different countries, it’s interesting to note how our wardrobe choices are affected by our perception of ourselves: our past, present and future as well as en expression of values, whether it is conscious or subconscious.

The choices we make about what we wear are influenced

by life present, lives past and our ideas about our future selves.

Expressions of values, aspirations, heritage, understanding and the physical shape of our bodies build

a rationale for dress that transcend narrow commercial views about fashion.

Instead they give us broader perspectives that honour our realityas well as our aspirations; and

connect our psyche with our fibre and fashion choices.’

(Local Wisdom, Citizen of Planet Earth)

Analysing methods and critical approach

I collected answers from 100 respondents on my questionnaire about emotional attachment to ones favourite clothes (Appendix C). Most respondents are likely from Facebook, thus it is limited how far from my own network I have reached. The questionnaire was very open with a broad group of respon-dents. The majority of respondents are probably Danish, but some are from other countries, likely in Europe or from the US. There are both men and women, wide spread of age, however the average age is likely the mid-late 20s.

I chose to target a very open group, not gender or age specific, in order to collect answers from a large selection of people and see if there are similarities and connections in what makes a piece of clothing our favourite. It is interesting to try to uncover some general patterns in the way we dress and what we like the most. However, making conclusions about definite patterns based on this survey is debatable as the group consists of many different people and only represents 100 people. Analyzing the quantitative survey will provide information about patterns in peoples’ experience with emotional attachment to garments, from which general assumptions are formed.

Analysis

It is clear that jeans are a popular item being the favourite for 31%. Straight after jeans are coat, sweater and short dress. Based on this I assume most respondents are from western cultures and living in a place with different seasons in need of a coat and sweater in the wintertime.

For most of the respondents, 74%, it is because it feels good to wear that this particular piece of gar-ment that this is their favourite. 53% says they feel pretty in it and 40% that it fits what else they have in their closet.

// ANALYSIS - QUESTIONNAIRE

Analysing methods and considerations

In order to better understand my target group I have conducted three personal interviews, which are transcribed in (Appendix D).

Using Schein’s model and with a human centred approach I will investigate emotional attachment and personal and cultural patterns within my target group (Schein, 2004). Themes and questions have been developed based on the questionnaire mentioned above and my pre-conceptions based on personal as-sumptions and experiences. The aim of the interviews is to either confirm or disprove these pre-con-ceptions. I focus firstly on the informants’ favourite piece of clothing, the emotional value and move on to examining wardrobe essentials. Furthermore, I try to study personal preferences in lifestyle, cultural habits and their view on society, as it is interesting to find underlying assumptions and understanding of value and culture characteristically to my target group.

// ANALYSIS - INTERVIEWS

I also tried to uncover what in my respondents’ opinions makes a perfect wardrobe and what makes garments last for years. 71% thinks that jeans are essential in a good wardrobe, next comes t-shirt, sweater, cardigan and jacket.

When asking about people’s style many consider their style classic often with a twist towards edgy, avant-garde or rock ‘n’ roll.

90% believe high quality material is important for the longevity of a garment while 57% feel a timeless shape and 55% a timeless colour are important factors. Shape, colour and what defines high quality material are not specified in the questionnaire. These are interesting matters, which I follow up on in the personal interviews.

Based on qualitative research such as three personal interviews, it is not possible to make general definite conclusions. However, it offers me a chance to thoroughly understand people who represent my target group and it is a fascinating endeavour to map some common personal preferences and espoused values (underlying assumptions) of these three people.

Analysis

Common for all three informants are that leather seems to be their favourite material, and popular item is a black leather jacket, which can be used year after year, because wear is incorporated and only adds to the affectional value. Further, all three informants dress in layers and it is important for them that they identify with the clothes and express their personality through their style.

It has become rather common to see clothes that show the body. Tight silhouettes and skin being revealed are normal on the street, on TV and in popular music videos. The sexualization of the body is dominant in our world today and it seems the body (i.e. good looks) are the prevalent factor today’s society While this seems to be a general trend in media and advertising, my target group is not con-cerned with looking sexy in this stereotypical way. Rather they want to express their personality, and not their sex when choosing what to wear. Especially one informant enjoys challenging normal gender-typical styles and likes to dress more masculine than feminine. My three informants view clothes as being an extension of who they are and at the same time protecting armour. As Skjold (2014) describes it, is is an emotional experience when shopping and choosing what to wear. When she chooses to buy something new, Informant 2 phrases it as en emotion, which jumps out from the rack. It’s this emotion that dominates and causes her to buy something.

I find it interesting that all three informants have something rebellious inside them. They dislike being told what to do or to have to live up to demands and expectations from society. Instead they oppose to such circumstances. They are forming their life independently from discourses and are drawn to alterna-tive ideas. Informant 3 consciously and subconsciously tries to challenge the norms she encounters. Informant 1 loves reading fantasy, which presents her with alternative ways of life, loves to challenge her

own perception of the world through art and enjoys documentaries and reading biographies as a way to learn. Informant 2 consciously seeks inspiring people who, as herself, have an alternative idea of what the world can look like. She loves to be confronted with people who don’t live like the rest, and who don’t fit into any boxes. What she emphasizes is the need for more love in the world and describes our time as cold years, but she also notices that there are many new alternative initiatives popping up around the world.

An issue today is the over-production of new things using limited resources from the Earth (Footprint-network, 2014). Companies are exploiting resources from the Earth to manufacture new things, which quickly become obsolete and then again dumped on nature, due to the fact that products are made disposable, fragile to wear, non-repairable, functional obsolescence, technological obsolescence and aesthetic obsolescence. The only thing that seems to be prevalent in this system is profit (Walker, 2006).

Aus (2011) is working with three different categories of textile waste in her thesis (pp. 48-50).

• Production Waste: This is the waste created from other textile productions. It consists of cut off fabric, trimmings and end of rolls. This type of waste, as it has not been used, is new and of good quality.

• Pre-Consumer Waste: This waste is generated from the overproduction from fast fashion. Much of this, however, is destroyed to protect the reputation of the brand, even though the material could be used to make new garments.

• Post-Consumer Waste: When a garment’s first life ends, it can be described as post-consumer waste. Much of this is given to second hand stores but great amounts still ends in the trash to be incinerated.

// EXPLOITATION OF RESOURCES

// RECYCLED MATERIALS

For the collection I will be using recycled materials. In this chapter I will briefly introduce what consti-tutes waste and looking at other designers using waste the chapter will explain how waste can be used as a resource to make beautiful clothes.

// INTRODUCTION

5.5 MATERIALS AND SUSTAINABILITY

All three categories represent great possibility for recycling fabric. As there are now companies making beautiful fabric out of waste from polyester, cotton and wool (Fabric Source), and H&M invites their customers to leave them the worn garments, for it to be recycled (H&M), it is clearly a sign of a new the tendency, using waste. This is a great development, but, as mentioned above, many of these re-sources still end in landfills or incineration, so larger initiatives from governments are needed for it to become truly significant and make it possible to for more designers to work with it on a scalable level.

The great amount of clothes being disposed of forms a largely overseen material capital in the world. This excess of clothes presents us with an opportunity to utilize these resources when creating new garments, thus making it possible to prolong the life of the materials rather than producing new fabrics. As part of many proposed sustainable methods, using second hand material is one, which is widely overseen as being a scalable business. In her PhD thesis, Aus (2011) researches the possibility of scaling production with pre-production waste and shows it to be possible with her project Trash To Trend (TTT).

Several designers are using recycled material as the main resource in their production and do so with many different design aesthetics. Sort Slips Hvidt Slips uses old sheets, towels and so on, which she gets from De Forenede Dampvaskerier (SSHS). Trash Couture is another example, where designer Ann Wiberg makes couture dresses from antique fabrics, laces and beads (Trash Couture). Most designers working with waste material do so making small unique collections from it. However, more are, like Reet Aus, exploring how to upscale the production.

Even though Chapman (2005) argues that using recycled materials is symptom-focused, in our progress towards sustainability there will still be a production and it is very possibly that the design will become obsolete at some point because of aesthetics. As Walker (2006) explains, design is ephemeral and we cannot be know if we are designing products for longevity. Due to this, using waste as a resource, instead of using new virgin material will likely always be relevant (p. 191).

// WASTE AS MATERIAL RESOURCE

Throughout this paper, the major focus point and aim has been designing for longevity. Based on the research I find that the following approaches suggest a way to promote longevity of products. The three following dogmas are as the title suggests very abstract, so further elaborating I present suggestions of how to work with these philosophical dogmas.

Incorporating time / Making the designer and the creators behind it explicit in the productUsing handcraft techniques and using hand stitching; for instance through the Japanese technique boro, a repair technique which beautifully enhances and prolongs the life of old fabric or the Indian quilting technique with several layers of fabric hand stitched together.

Creating a slow experience; prolonging the decoding time / making intriguing designCreating a complex expression and fostering a sensory experience through tactile surfaces, the feel and movement of the material, complex details, which intrigue and satisfy the eyes and the somatic sense. The somatic sense covers our entire body and is highly affected by clothes, as we feel the touch of the fabric and the form.

// CRITERIA OR PHILOSOPHICAL DOGMAS

First I define a set of criteria that are important to consider as a designer when promoting emotional attachment, sensory pleasant experiences and intriguing relationships. Further, based on the question-naire and the interviews, I have developed a list of essential items from which my collection will take its starting point.

In this chapter I present and describe the tactile material experiments, which are conducted based the research on sustainable aesthetics and emotional attachment. My aim with making these samples is to explore how one can work with concepts and ideas as part of the design process and use handcraft techniques to incorporate time into the design.

// INTRODUCTION

5.6 TACTILE EXPERIMENTATION

Stimulating spiritual developmentArt and Aesthetics are linked to intuition and spiritual development. Creating special objects, which borders the understanding and expression of art can stimulate people’s inherent inquiry into more meaningful and spiritual sense of being.

Further as Walker (2006, p. 75) emphasizes, because we cannot know for sure if we are designing long-lasting products it is important to also minimize the social and environmental impact of the design. Chapman suggests we think of the environment as an end user or costumer (Chapman 2005, p. 27).

Viewing the Earth as an end user of the productUse low impact materials - Recycled materials spare the world from the exploitation of virgin resources and are their life is prolonged. When disposal is of these garments will occur, they are not biodegradable nor are they made for disassembly, thus it will likely have some negative impact in the disposal phase.

The following list is a collection of items presented by respondents of the questionnaire and from the interview by my informants. As my target group prefers black, avant-garde clothes, this is the general aesthetic for the presented items.

• Tight jeans or leggings• Long draped cardigan• Basic items, such as a tight tank top or stockings• A short dress• A leather jacket• Special items that can make a simple or basic outfit stand out

// ESSENTIAL ITEMS IN A WARDROBE

These experiments are the initial steps in the process of creating this collection. It is unlikely that the finished garments will look exactly like these samples, for several reasons. One reason is that they all are hand made, so no cut or stitch is exactly the same. Furthermore, as the samples and the collection are made from recycled clothing, the fabric will consist of mixed materials from different materials. As the process develops more samples are be added, as there are many experiments, that can be done with these techniques.

// EXPERIMENTATION WITH TECHNIQUES

Experiment 1 – Resembling BoroThis sample aims to resemble the technique boro. Boro is used to strengthen and repair worn clothes. It is hand stitched with two different kinds of thread, and made from cut offs and scraps, which are sewn on top of a thicker linen fabric (FurugiStar, 2011). As the clothing and fabrics used for these samples are in fine shape, it creates another look than the original boro on torn garments. However, it is a beautiful way to use worn and torn old clothes or fabric scraps to create new fabrics with the extra complex expression the technique offers.

Experiment 2 – Kantha QuiltingThis experiment is testing the quilting technique kantha on three layers of the same fabric. It creates a thicker and warmer fabric and is great for recycling thin and used fabrics and scraps (Hergert, 2012).

Experiment 3 – Resembling PojagiThis sample is inspired by the Korean patchwork technique pojagi, which had great meaning in the culture in pre-Korean history (Quilt-study, 2008). The sample is made from the synthetic fabric, that is sewn on the machine with a sick-sack stitch, unlike the original pojagi technique, which covers the seam allowance making a nice finish.

Experiment 4 - Resembling PojagiThis is also inspired by pojagi, but sewn with a French seam and I have added a selvedge in one seam.

Experiment 5 – PatchworkThis sample is a patchwork of strips of fabrics. This technique offers a nice look but uses extra fabric with the many seam allowances. Cut offs and straps can well be used for this.

Experiment 6 – AppliquéThe embroidery technique is used to cover a whole fabric un-like common appliqué, which serves to decorate specific areas. The strips are cut from a recycled old leather jacket. It offers a complex yet calm structure as it creates vertical lines down the fabric.

Experiment 7 – FlossFloss is a technique that only develops with time, as the fabric becomes more threaded. To make this, the top layers of fabric are cut on the bias and sewn, before they are cut between each seam.

Experiment 8 – FurThis sample is made from selvedges, which are sewn on top of each other, each one moved a little bit more up than the previous one.

Experiment 9 – WeaveThis sample is weaved from long strips of fabrics, creating a raw and irregular look. This type of weave is mostly known cloth rag carpets.

Chapman (2005) believes the biggest threat to a sustainable future is our incessant desire for new things, our consumerist culture. In his opinion, the focus for instance on sustainable materials is only treating a symptom rather than the cause. Consequently, according to Chapman, the solution is to create emotionally durable products. This view is fundamentally different from Walker’s (2006). As he phrases it, it is arrogant of designers to think they can create long-lasting products. Longevity is not tangible, nor definable. Therefore it is important that we produce with as little social and environmental impact as possible (Ibid, p. 191). Walker further argues that as we don’t know what a sustainable future looks like we cannot define methods and solutions as sustainable.

The interviews reveal that my informants believe that what makes an item timeless is personal, thus not something you can define (Appendix D). Even if a certain type of garment can be considered long-lasting, details will always be linked to a specific era. In addition to this, when we use the description timeless we are often talking about pieces made during the 20th century. This gives the item a life span of 50-100 years and can thus hardly be considered timeless, when we keep in mind for how many years the human race has existed.

The objects tools, jewellery and religious artefacts can be described as timeless or long-lasting and continuously important to people (Walker, 2006). However, the design of these has changed over time. If we are to make a conclusion on this argument, it seems apparent that people may be able to invent objects with long-lasting relevancy but the aesthetic expression is likely to become obsolete with time. Furthermore, objects can be defined as timeless but design cannot, as it is an expression of time and culture itself.

// SUSTAINABILITY AND DESIGN IN CONTEXT

My analysis has presented both opposing and similar ideas about our relationships with our garments and what constitutes emotional attachment. In order to better understand and point out the realisa-tions and results from my research and analysis, I will discuss the approaches to sustainability and emotional attachment. Further I will discuss what I have found to be relevant from my research on the wardrobe.

// INTRODUCTION

6.1 SUSTAINABILITY AND EMOTIONAL ATTACHMENT

Art and aesthetics are closely linked to our intuition and spiritual development (Walker, 2006). Spirituality has been prevalent throughout history, causing us to search for meaning and cultivating knowledge. Nonetheless, in our society today, valuing the rational and logical side of our nature has become dominant. Consequently, we have a dualistic understanding of our world, making a distinction between physical/material and spiritual/metaphysical, thus forgetting our spiritual side. A holistic approach to design, to the products we surrounds our selves with, is essential if we are to get closer to creating sustainable objects. It is an intrinsic part of human behaviour to search for development and to cultivate one’s self.

This search for self-expression is in today’s society is largely characterized by consumerism. However, as objects are static, consumerism continuously fails to satisfy this need. Being static in time, they cannot over time reflect who we are and what we feel. As consumption represents a construction of the desired self and as we develop and outgrow our things, waste can be described as a symptom of

// AESTHETICS AND PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

Walker describes how fashion offers fake values presenting materials as the answer to achieve happi-ness and takes advantage of people’s desire for fulfilment (Walker, 2006, p. 73). As these products can-not live up to the promises, they become quickly disposable and new things are acquired in an attempt to meet this need for fulfilment. It is an endless spiral of consumerism (Ibid, pp. 42-43).

This view on people’s shopping habits is however, not what Skjold found in her research. Wardrobe preferences are developed during one’s youth, and are dependent on which environment and style characterized this time. It is this style, this wardrobe that we build upon throughout our lives. Our taste and choices are rooted in this period of our lives (Skjold, p. 94). The idea that we find favourites and that these are prevalent garments that we try to replace with similar items when they wear out is contradictory to Walker’s theory.

// FASHION AND EMOTIONS

expired meaning (Chapman, 2005). Both Walker and Chapman propose that designers should try to prolong the lifetime of objects through an emotional relationship. Chapman emphasises the importance of intriguing design, that invites to interaction between the user and the object, whereas Walker finds it important to support the need of people to feel spiritually stimulated and believes this can be promoted by rethinking aesthetics and making the existence of the designer explicit in the design. Despite the fact that Chapman proposes the solution to consumerism is to design emotionally durable products, he realises that people are unpredictable and suggests for designers to embrace this before they can attempt to promote a meaningful subject-object engagement (Chapman, 2005, p. 68).

How can I create a fashion collection made from recycled garments, which promotes

emotional attachment between the user and the garment?

How are emotional and sustainable aesthetics important factors when working with longevity?

// PROBLEM STATEMENT

TIBBE SMITH is a new upcoming fashion brand, based on a sustainable approach to business. The aim is to experiment with sustainable methods and create avant-garde androgynous fashion.

The aesthetics of TIBBE SMITH are founded in a mysterious, dark and apocalyptic Universe, in which one both feels the structures on damaged houses and the harsh yet life-giving nature.

There is an emphasis on structures and the tactile experience of the fabric plays an important role. Be-cause of the avant-garde expression, with layers on top of layers and androgynous design, the garments can easily being worn by both women and men.

The avant-garde fashion collection for A/W 2015 will be made from recycled garments retrieved from second hand shops around Denmark and Sweden.

// COMPANY

7.1 DESIGN BRIEF

Inspiration for the universe

The idea of the collection TARDIGRADOUS is based on the research and analysis about emotional at-tachment and sustainable aesthetics and serves as a physical exploration of the findings. The name TARDIGRADOUS means slow-paced; moving or stepping slowly. The concept is a one-of-a-kind showpiece collection made from recycled materials.

With the aesthetic Universe and handcraft inspired by old Japanese and Korean techniques, the design offers emphasis on time, creating a longer decoding time. The aim of the design is to trigger a bond between the wearer, the design and the designer, and through several layers of experiences the decoding of the garment will last longer.

The collection draws inspiration from old Japanese warriors, their armour, their draped garments and their unshakable attitude. Further inspiration is found from illustrations that depict an experience of phenomenology. The subject of the perceptual experience is the body; the object is the world; and the relationship between the two is consciousness.‘The collection aims to prolong the lifetime of the garments and promote an emotional attachment. The dogmas are developed based on the research on emotional attachment and sensory experience and present the frame for the collection development. Harper describes prolonged lifetimes as being initiated from an aesthetic experience, which can be either subtle or complex. This collection will evolve around the complex experience, which will elongate the decoding time. For the collection to be balanced, some garments will be more simple, without the heavy weight on handcraft, but serve as supplementing pieces with a subtle expression.

The illustrations of design are raw sketches of the idea. The design will evolve throughout the process of developing and making, based on the tests of the tactile experiments, the qualities of the fabrics and the pattern making and draping.

// CONCEPT AND DESIGN

Raw sketches of the collection TARDIGRADOUS

The collection TARDIGRADOUS will be made of recycled materials from Denmark and Sweden. The materials are found in second hand shops specifically selected based on structure, colour and material. By using already used material the collection will not contribute to the great exploitation of virgin resources. The techniques used to enhance the sensory experience of the garments are patchwork techniques and embroidery by hand and machine, among others boro from Japan, Pojagi from Korea and Indian layer technique. The design development will consist of a combination of draping and flat pattern making. As the process of development is essential when making of clothes, particularly with the emphasis being on creating a slow experience and making the creator explicit in the final design, I allow for the design to change and develop with my explorations.

The main target group is women between 25 and 45 years living in major cities. The target group works or studies and are interested in the creative field. They want to show their individuality through their strong style. Because they value quality before quantity they are willing to invest in clothes that fit their style, whether they are new or second hand.

It is all about personal style and expressing one’s self, not caring what other people might think. The target persona is independent and knows her shelf and her style. For some, sustainability plays a role in their life. But as mentioned earlier sustainability is not our key selling point - the design is.

For my target group, the look, aesthetics and quality are important factors for longevity of garments; the fact that the clothes are recycled does not in itself create emotional value.

// TARGET GROUP

// METHODS

The target persona is a woman of 42 years living in Paris. Being a writer, she creates magical transcend-ing universes on Earth with strong female characters in her books. Every day she walks along the Seine to this specific café in which she sits and writes and talks to the people working there. In the evening she meets with friends for dinner and wine or she goes to the movies and watches an independent movie. She is not married and has no kids. She has a boyfriend whom she has been with for some years, however they don’t live together.

// TARGET PERSONA

Persona

The customer will be paying for an avant-garde design, which can last them throughout their life. As the design aims to promote longevity the garments will not be exchanged as cheap fast fashion clothes, thus the higher price pays off in the end. Furthermore, through transparent communication with and to consumers, they will also be able to trust the manufacturing of the garment and understand the processes behind the clothes (Belz & Peat-tie, 2012, p. 233).

// CUSTOMER COST

For a fully rich experience it is important that the communication and graphic expression co-relates with the concept, the design and the universe. The costumer is invited into the world behind the design, the aesthetics and the concept. Communication around the making is based on transparency where all processes and activities lay open for people to read on the website, both for each garment and for general activities by TIBBE SMITH.

The touch points are independent international magazines, like The Gentlewoman, TUSH and I-D. Blogs and other social media like Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest are also important tools to reach customers.

// COMMUNICATION AND PR

Final sketches.

Photo: Nicolas AndreouModel: Mona StillingMake up: Kira Kyhn

I choose to name my project TARDIGRADOUS – An Endeavour Into The Slow Experience Of Gar-ments. This reflects the process and the purpose of the project, as I have wanted to research how a designer can promote the longevity of garments.

My problem statement sounds:

How can I create a fashion collection made from recycled garments, which promotes

emotional attachment between the user and the garment?

How are emotional and sustainable aesthetics important factors when working with longevity?

Design and aesthetics can have great importance for a long-lasting relationship with objects and can be very meaningful to us as experiencing, spiritual beings. It is inherent in humans to search for meaning and cultivate knowledge and a higher consciousness. If products are designed with this in mind, so they are functional, social/positional and inspirational/spiritual, they can offer a more meaningful experience. We experience through our body and our senses and our understanding of the world dominated by this subjective experience. The primary experience is subconsciously understood through the senses long before we understand something rationally. This also affects our interaction with our clothes. We look at and feel our clothes; it is the layer of fabric between subject and the world. Our clothes func-tion as an extension of our personality, a mirror of self, a reflection of our values. It is an extra layer of skin. They are strongly linked to our identity and for most people style is fairly static in contrast to theory that people are lead by trends (Skjold).

The idea of longevity or timeless design is disputable. As designers we can work with a preconception of what can promote longevity, but we cannot know for certain if something will spur a long-lasting emotional relationship between the user and the product. Consequently, it is arrogant and naïve to think we can make long-lasting products (Walker, 2006). Furthermore we don’t know what a sustainable future looks like and can only guess what methods are sustainable. But designing low impact products and avoiding inherently unsustainable methods are crucial.

Whether or not I have succeeded designing for longevity and promoting emotional attachment based on sustainable aesthetics is yet to be examined. The collection will need not only to be tested inter-viewing people about their experience but further to become part of someone’s wardrobe and then follow up on the experience over and after several years. Even then, it only presents us with a sugges-tion or assumption, not definite conclusions.

However, it is possible to go in depth with the design process and work with both subtler and more complex experiences and incorporating considerations on what constitutes meaningful relationships with objects. I developed a set of criteria, which can prolong the decoding of the design and create an experience with emphasis on the senses, as these are closely linked to our emotions, thus the central factors when we dress. These criteria set the frame for the tactile experiments I conducted and are the foundation for the development of the collection.

In conclusion our relationship with clothes is tied to our body and our emotions. Working with the aesthetic experience of garments offers the possibility of an enhanced experience and intriguing design, which can create meaningful relationships between the wearer and the garment.

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Pre-conceptions and assumptions

Artifacts:My target group has a great interest in fashion and is generally interested in culture, interior design and lead a creative lifestyle. Espoused beliefs and values:My target group values leading a social, urban, cultural life, with friends, music and art and lives in big cities, metropolitans e.g. Copenhagen, New York or perhaps Tokyo. They are likely to have a higher level of education within human studies or art. They love to travel and are very open-mind-ed people, interested in other cultures and they know a lot about other cultures.

Underlying assumptions:My target group questions the status quo and aren’t just following societal norms. Thus they have another set of pre-dominant underlying assumptions, based on reflections on life, meanings and their own dreams. This is reflected in the fact that they believe people are responsibility for their own happiness aren’t help back by norms and discourses about gender and age.(Schein, 2004)

(The appendix depicts only the essential part of the interviews.)

Target group

My informants are three different Danish women as close to my target group as possible. • Target group age 25-45 years• Cares about and has a personal and avant-garde style• Want to invest in the right design

People

• Informant 1 - Age 28 years• Informant 2 - Age 36 years• Informant 3 - Age 27 years

Methodology

Based on theory about culture by Schein (2004) I have reflected on as-sumptions about people within my target group. The interview questions are developed based on answers from the questionnaire and theory about interviewing (Kvale & Brinkmann, 2009).

I focus on the narrative interview. The narrative story is a way for people is the natural cognitive form through which to express meaning and knowledge (Ibid). I try to ask for the personal stories and together with my informant structure it into connecting stories (Ibid).

The transcription of each of the interviews are done by myself from the voice recordings. I am leaving out pause sounds like ‘eh’, emotional sounds like laughter or accentuation (Ibid). Further I am transcribing what seems relevant to my questions and analysis in order to make it short and concise.

Open questions for discussion

Your favourite garment• Why did you bring this particular garment?• What meaning does the garment have in the way you view your life

– your past, present and future?• How is the garment linked to your identity?• What is the story of the garment?• Is the story important to you and if yes, how?

Style• How would you describe your style?• Are you affected by trends?• Do you often change style or would you say you have found your

style?• Why do you feel this style fits your personality? How?

Essentials in a wardrobe• What are the important essentials in your wardrobe?• Why are these particular garments essential to you?• What, in you opinion makes a garment last for decades to also be

past on to future generations?• What do you consider a timeless item?• Do you think you can talk about a timeless shape or colour and if

yes, can you describe?

Personal being – identity• Are you interested in art? Do you go to museums?• Do you like reading? If yes, what kind of books?• What kind of music do you listen to? Do you go to concerts?• Do you exercise? If yes, why? • How have you chosen to educate yourself? What do you find

interesting and important in relation to education/development as a human being?

• How do you see yourself in relation to the norm of the society you live in?

So, yeah I buy new things if I fall in love with something and it fits me. I don’t need clothes but then you find something you fall in love with and then maybe you buy that anyway. That usually happens.

(Art)I love art. I really find it inspiring. It’s fascinating to see how people ex-press themselves. I also love performance art. Because it’s people involved and it’s people as art objects. I try to go to museums as often as I can just to challenge myself - what I like and what I don’t like, so I to open my ho-rizon a bit. I also see a lot of art movies and I love documentaries, cause you learn something at the same time. You can get it better than that.

(Books)I love reading especially. You read this and you just get drawn into the world. But I also love biographies about people’s life. If I read magazines it’s scientific magazines like illustreret videnskab, and things like that, so you can learn while reading.

(Music)I listen to a lot of indie and rock. My favourite band is the gypsy rock band from Norway, Kaizers Orchestra but also Nick cave and The Bad Seeds, The National and Lana Del Rey.. I also like jazz. I love going to concerts. It is an experience. It’s an experience with a person performing, kind of like performance art on stage, which I really like.

(Taste in books, art and music reflected in style)Yeah, I think it’s reflected. I think steam punk fantasy is really hilarious and in general the underground fashion scene is really cool. The concept with layers and layers and alternative life and this mystical fantasy really draws me. Underground art scene also reflects the colour black. The colour was in the 1930s associated with the cultural creative people writers and so on. And you still see the black as something creative.

(Personality and values)For me clothing is so personal. It is who you are as a person. I think you share more values with the people who dress the same as you than with people in the same age group. For me the visuals are really important. And for me it tells a lot about who you are. It’s kind of judging people. It’s the

Informant 1 – Transcription

Interview Monday the 17th of November

(Favourite garment)My favourite garment is a pair of Annhagen shorts. They are high wasted and have this skirt that folds over the tummy. They are kind of loose and don’t press anywhere. I just feel really good when wearing them. Because they are so special, so no matter how shitty I feel, they kinda bring some self-confidence. I got them in 2009 and I didn’t wear them so much in the beginning, but now I wear a lot during a month. I have a lot of clothes. It symbolizes the person I want to be, how I see myself and how I want others to see me. Because it’s such a special garment, you feel special in a way. It reflects my alternative side of myself, that I want to be different from the mainstream. I have worn them so much, but you don’t see signs of wear. Also I think that you can use them for so many different occasions.

(Style)My style is black avant-garde - gothic without being alternative gothic. It probably rose from that. But it’s more experimental. It is layers on layers, loose fitted draping. But I really like how Yohji Yamamoto says, black is a neutral colour it says I don’t bother you so you don’t bother me. And in a way you can go totally crazy with layers and layers and layers and have crazy details, but because it is black it’s kind of humble.

(Trends and shopping)I am not affected by trends per se. I don’t look in fashion magazines and I don’t go to mainstream stores. But if there is something in the store that fits my style I’ll buy it- not because it is on trend but because it fits what I already have. So no I really avoid following new trends because it is consumerism.I am really thinking about how much we buy and if we really need it. I have grown up with a dad, where you use what you have. And that’s kind of what I try to follow. But I really try to think about, if I will be happy with it. So I still buy clothes, even though I have enough and believe you shouldn’t buy so much, and you should buy local and organic or sustain-able one can’t avoid the shopping in a way.

are not supposed to be in the social picture. Women have so many issues. And men are starting to have the same situation now that we are not happy with our body because the media tells us that everything is wrong. I want to go against this society we live in now where everything has to be perfect. Nothing is perfect. My body is not my personality. I was just born with it. I think you should be happy with your body and embrace it.

first thing you see is their style.For me clothing really reflects personality so that’s why I don’t like trend or fashion. Fashion is about change. The very definition of fashion is some-thing that is favourable in a certain time.

(Essential pieces in a wardrobe)A long cardigan that is tight around the arms and drapy around the body. And either a pair of tight tights or jeans, and just clothing that can be mixed. I think you should have some cardigan, so you can put layers and layers and something tight like a tight pair of jeans so you don’t end up looking like the Michelin man. And a pair of stockings. Something for every day and something for going out.

(Timeless clothes)I think timeless is a piece that can fit your body well. But I think what you see as timeless is really personal. A lot of people think the Burberry trench coat is timeless but it’s more a cult object. And it hasn’t always been timeless. I think timeless in my opinion is something that can be worn with a lot of different clothing and can fit different styles. Like a leather jacket – you can mix it with everything and it still looks good. It could be a Barbara iGongini leather jacket or a vintage jacket and it will look good. And something that keeps you wanting to explore the garment.And the colour is black. Black or toned down colours, like grey.

(The norm in society)There is still a lot of jantelov. You shouldn’t think you are someone. But I think that is changing with our generation and now it’s more okay to wear what you want to.I am skinny so people expect me to dress in a certain way, saying ‘you never wear anything tight to show off your body’ or ‘why do you always wear oversized, why do you always wear black?’ I don’t mind showing off my body, but I don’t like being seen like my body as the first thing. My body is not my personality. I was just born with it.I think you should think you are something. And I think that’s also what my clothes are. That is showing that I am here, even though I’m female I’m here, I have a voice. And also I really find it interesting how the female age and how we are expected to hide when you come to a certain age. You

(Culture)I seek out art online. I also go to concerts, but I would like to do it more - and the cinema. I listen to 80’ereloktro - new retro, older rock and indie - alternative sound.

(Books)I love reading. I read a lot of different kinds of books. encyclopaedias art, poetry. And the classics like Scherfig, Tom Kristensen and Susanne Brøgger.

(Norm) Because I haven’t taken a long education I guess I am kinda unspoiled. I am not shaped by school. And that’s both good and bad. When I went to art school, and they wanted me to analyse the picture, everything on me rejected. I feel very un-academic. My intelligence is fine, but I don’t belong in university. But I would have like to do it, maybe. Sometimes I need more inputs. Maybe you could get it from newspapers. But I need to work with my hands. My friend, she also believes in an alternative world order. To be around people who don’t take for granted that the banks are for us - they are a corporation for profit. That there is an alternative way to look at the world. I think it’s important for me to be around people who also think in a dif-ferent way. I can collect myself by reflecting myself in people who look at things in sort of the same way. I think it’s a cold world we live in. And I often get depressed about that there isn’t room to be human. I need to be confronted with people who don’t live like the norm. There are so many boxes and rules, but also a lot of things that simmer, alternative system to our current one. Something that needs to spread like rings in the water.

Informant 2 – Transcription

Interview Wednesday the 19th of November

(Favourite garment)My favourite item is a pair of tight leather pants that matches everything, however, they are very tight if you have eaten too much.Always things made from leather; pants, boots and I preferably wear two things at a time.The leather jacket and leather leggings I have had for many years.I also repair things hen they break – it’s tragic when it can’t anymore at all.

(Style)I guess it’s an express of a feeling or emotion. Only a few looks like us. I have always looked different from most people, always stood out from the crowd.These clothes are something I can hide behind while still standing out. I have a feeling that I am hiding but probably people notice me. I can iden-tify myself with my style. I can identify grunge as well, I was grunge before grunge.

(Trends)I don’t feel influenced by trends - but the pants and shoes are very af-fected by trends; the toe/front and the heel on shoes. Prints, stitches etc. are related to a specific period. So there I am influenced.

(Timelessness)Black is an all-timer. Black is timeless. It can be used by all, punk, the little black dress, suits, avant-garde, fashion elite, funerals. It can do everything. Many groups or sub-cultures take this colour as their own.But shapes are time-specific. Even for the little black dress, which can be defined as a timeless item, the design and details are changing according to trends.

(Looking sexy)I think there are many ways of looking sexy – and what you are attracted by. It depends on what you like, it’s not the body that makes people sexy it’s the person. Like a way to move the hands.

(Timeless garments)It makes things timeless if they have affectional value. Something that I inherited. Black is timeless. It’s not based on seasons. And toned down colours and classical shapes and silhouettes. For instance old tailor techniques can be timeless. But is also has to do with ones personal style.

(Culture)I like going to museums and see different exhibitions, I think I prefer things that provoke or is funny. I read biographies or books about self-realization – to help the see world in a different way.

(Music)I always listen to music, but I don’t have a specific genre that I like. But it’s very broad.

(Norm)I think like to provoke. I think I have an inner rebel. If I have to be quiet, like in a study hall, I really feel like screaming, just because I can’t. Or if there is something you cannot touch, then I really want to touch it.

Informant 3 - Transcription

Interview Thursday the 27th of November

(Favourite garment)My favourite is a raw leather biker jacket with big trimmings big zippers. I got it from my boyfriend. I have a love for leather in general and especially leather jackets. This type of garments grow more beautiful with time and it gives me personality, represents me.It’s made by hand from second had leather from Pele Che Coco.

(Style)My style is black (because it’s easy) and I mix different things. And it is androgynous and raw style. Sometimes more feminine sometimes more masculine, likes it to be different and personal.

(Trends)Yes I am definitely affected by trends, but it does not dictate her style. Earlier I liked to clothes be more draped but now it has become increas-ingly stringent. But her style is not changing radically. It changes from day to day dependent on what I want to feel or based on my mood. It is always me. I have had many style periods I have always loved to dress out and been very experimental with my style and looks. But I have had this style for maybe 7 years.I don’t think so much about my personality. I wear what I feel good in. I can be kinda silly and I like to just have fun - I don’t want to follow the set norms. And I would never compromise with myself to fit in somewhere specific.

(Essentials)Essentials are black jeans, jackets and basic things. And something fun and different, like the leather jacket. Then when you wear it, that is in focus. Not everything needs to be so loud. And I have gotten a love for knit as well. These are special because they reflect who I am, but it’s also important for me that it is easy to dress, so good jeans are essential.