G.I.F.T (2021)

Giving is art. Giving is culture. Giving is one of the oldest cultural techniques of mankind for the purpose of socialization, for establishing relationships in societies. In his 1923/1924 essay on the gift, the French sociologist Marcel Mauss discusses the riddle of the cultural practice of giving being a “hybrid mixture of gift and economy, of generosity and self-interest, voluntariness and coercion”. Isn’t fashion also a “hybrid mixture of gift and economy, of generosity and selfishness, voluntariness and coercion”?
In this project, fashion and clothing were explored in their various dimensions of identity constructions, and empathy was learned as an essential tool for user-oriented design. The relationships between artistic expression and service, between risk and comfort, between anticipation and reproduction, between sensuality, meaning and meaningfulness were explored.
The participants had the task to make a person of their choice a present with an outfit. The students also developed a specific textile print in screen printing techniques and a conceptual fragrance.