"Mondays are my sundays." My BA thesis forms the basis for this master collection.
As i quoted earlier, my BA thesis forms the basis of the coming master collection. Back in 2019 when I graduated, I wrote about time, time passing, time stopping, the future, present and past, traces of the time, the society and consumption. My approach came from from different disciplines: sociology, partly psychological and partly philosophical. To be honest, I enjoyed the writing, but still, it just scratched the surface. Due to the given timeframe by the university, I did not have all the freedom I wished.
So I came up with the idea of looking at the former tailor shop of my boyfriends family. When I first entered it 11y ago, I was absolutely stunned. That his old grandparents were able to go steps steep like this, and still work out of joy. Shelfes stuffed with materials, boxes, buttons, yarn and fabrics, patterns hanging at the door, on the walls. Times of a tailor shop were long ago, even at this stage. And after the years the grandparents were not able to get up in their small workshop under roof. Everything remained. It wasn't touched for years. There is a thin layer of dust on all the machines and shelfes. What a magical place.
I was allowed to use materials from them. So I restricted myself to use the deadstock. Why should I buy something new, if there is so much no longer used?
Sound familiar? Yes, the tailor shop will again be basis for my work. What I could not manage back in the days, was taking advantage of the old patterns. So this is what I catch up with.
so what will my masters thesis be about? Generally spoken, about me as a designer. Nowadays fashion industry is not only frightening, unsustainable and fast moving, it's a difficult working environment where I still need to find my place. I fell like being caught between two worlds.
I grew up in a partly academic partly craftsman family in the thuringian forest. My mom is a female woodcarver. My grandparents owned a Guesthouse for more than 25 guests. Tradition and heritage was equal important as working really hard, already as a child. So did I, worked on the field, in the garden, in the guesthouse, delivered newspaper, sold ice cream, worked as a waiter, sold tickets, worked in museums, in the assembly line of automobile manufacturers, and always got my pocket money with woodcarving. I build my own furniture. Handling tools as chainsaws or knifes was always the normal, I was always working with my hands, touching tools, touching materials. My childhood formed me.
On the one hand I've been drawn to old things, on the other hand I've been drawn to technology. Quite the opposite. And only affordable when I was older and could spend my own money. But I enjoy innovative things a lot. I used to program websites (for my university), worked with Arduinos, Lilypads, LED's, I built up my own 3D printer and work as a tutor for lasercutting in my university. I am never ahead of my time, but always keen on experimenting and finding new ways with the help of new technology. I am keen on learning new things, on pushing boundaries, on feeling joy!
SO I should bring the worlds together. What if the old can be new again? I will take the old found patterns and make something new out of it. I will use technology to translate what I experienced with my hands. Former craftsman and innovative technologies will fusion to a partly digital and partly physical world. but with lots of spend effort, time and handcraft.
"Playing with patterns. Transforming handicraft references into contemporary fashion design."
Another learning for today: Writing this blogpost seems to really help me sharpening my vision of the master thesis!
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