tubulatus by Sara Smed
„The starting point for this concept has been the “cradle to cradle” innovation project that Wolford has been working on in the development department over the last years. The new products are supposed to be 100% compostable on all aspects of the production, and therefore a part of the circular biological nutrient system – The premise for the “cradle to cradle” philosophy. This conceptual approach has been to focus on the “post user phase” of the product or the decomposing phase to be specific.
By researching on a variety of different decomposing processes in organic matter and then transferring these aesthetics to knitted structures, this project is a reflection on the circular nutrients system of nature and the occurring of new life after another’s death. The Wolford bestseller “Fatal Dress” forms the basis for three different tubular “decomposing” outfits.
Being inspired by the very simple though multifunctional design of the “Fatal Dress”, it’s stretch-ability and in particular the name of this tubular knitted garment, this project is called Tubulatus and suggests an afterlife of the Wolford fatal tube.
The seamless tube, as a closed form, operates as a symbol for the circular “C2C” concept and the decomposing aesthetics works as an exaggeration of the decomposing process that the new Wolford products are suppose to go through in the last phase of the transformation back to reusable biological nutrients.
There are somehow three parts in this project. One part is the three mainly knitted outfits with their “decomposing optic” which occur on a contortionist in the film. Another part is the design realised at Wolford, which is an experiment to develop a “compost worm” knit-structure and show the compost-ability of the future materials at Wolford. The last part is the film which, through the use of different postproduction effects, changes the surface of the outfits and transform them into something out of this world. A microscopic research and suggestion on afterlife one could say.“
Fashion, Concept & Video: Sara Smed // JoAnne Kowalski (Co-Director), Performer: Kristina Kurapkaityte, DOP & Co-Editing: Dickon Bevan
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//Video + Stills: Jasmin Erb
Boys will be boys by Jasmin Erb
COREBODYREFORM — A COLLABORATION OF STUDENTS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF THE ARTS, BERLIN AND WOLFORD AG. THE STUDENTS DEVELOPED A COLLECTION OF 3 OUTFITS BY DEALING WITH TOPICS LIKE THE PREVAILING IMAGE OF WOMEN, BODY IDEALS, GENDER ISSUES AND SUSTAINABILITY, WHILE WOLFORD, THE HI-TECH AND INTERNATIONAL KNITWEAR MANUFACTURERS, ASSISTED THEM IN THE MAKING PROCESS AND REALIZED ONE OF THEIR DESIGNS. JASMIN ERB, ONE OF THE PARTICIPANTS OF COREBODYREFORM, MADE IT HER MISSION TO SHOW THE MAN FROM HIS SENSUAL SIDE, AS SHE HAS NOTICED AN IMBALANCE BETWEEN THE SEXES. SINCE FEMININE CHARACTERISTICS ARE STILL CONSIDERED WEAK AND NOT DESIRABLE FOR THE HETEROSEXUAL CIS MAN, SHE DESIGNED HER COLLECTION BY DRAPING WHICH IS INTENDED TO HIGHLIGHT THE SENSUAL PARTS OF THE MALE BODY AND USED UNDERWEAR TYPICAL PROCESSING AND DETAILS WITHOUT RELYING ON FEMININE LINGERIE. SHE IMITATED THE COLLAGED AND SKETCHY AESTHETICS OF HER SKETCHBOOK AND TRANSFERRED THEM TO THE GARMENTS THROUGH EMBROIDERY AND WOVEN PIECES. WOLFORD MANUFACTURED A BODY STOCKING FOR MEN OUT OF LAYERED NET KNIT WHICH IS WORN UNDER THE JERSEY AND TULLE DESIGNS. `BOYS WILL BE BOYS‘ DESCRIBES THE UTOPIA IN WHICH THE SENSUALITY OF THE MAN CAN EXIST WITHOUT MAKING USE OF THE PRESENT STEREOTYPICAL CONCEPT OF MASCULINITY
Fashion, Concept, Video + Make-Up: Jasmin Erb, Model: Marlon Birko
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//Video + Stills: Ilona Karácsony
Ideal by Ilona Karácsony
Today’s ideal-typical female body as presented on social media shows funny, but not so surprising similarities with prehistoric fertility goddess figures. A luscious figure is associated with female liberation and success of feminist efforts against unhealthy body ideals, hetero-male pleasure, and the reproductive functionality of the female body alike. As such, it is marketed aggressively.
A fertile, sexually attractive (functional) female body is defined by a certain number of lumps protruding in specific places (and the absence of lumps in other places). Are they needed in the exact same number and position?
The project „Ideal” is aimed to investigate this question from a critical point of view. Through the design process alternative body shapes both in archaic representations and in contemporary gender expressions were researched. An interpretation of the results led to anti-natural body extensions made to break normative ideals.
A video based on the project is playing on possible roles of a sexualised body in several ages from archaic times through the Weimar Republic to new gender radicalism.
Fashion & Concept: Ilona Karácsony, Camera: Joze Basa, Model: Laura Talkenberg, Cut: Júlia Szederkényi
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//Video + Stills: Marlene Haase
(€ ¥ $ ฿ ₣ ₪ ₱ Ω ₩ Zł) by Marlene Haase
For my collection I dealt with the current topic of the gender pay gap in the business sector.
I was inspired by Wolfords current target group, the self-conscious Businesswomen. Who is she and what are her topics in todays world affairs? In my research I encountered the gender pay gap, which is a major issue especially in the financial sector. For the collection I then decided to concentrate on office attire inspired by brokers. The silhouettes of the women collection reflect my research and pick up the idea of imbalance by exploring asymmetrical shapes. The print is inspired by work sheets and stock exchange charts that remind on pin stripes and checked shirts.
