CloTHING(s) as conversation

CloTHING(s) as conversation is a research initiative that seeks to revising textile product assumptions. Clothing and specific combinations of articles worn on the body are often understood and referred to as a statement. The notion of clothing as statement is prevalent in catwalk culture (the fashion statement). It is equally evident in the clothing choices of individuals who do not participate in the fashion schema, be it through regulated attire (uniforms, professional garb, etc.) or as part of counter culture (punk, hippie, hactivists, etc.). This project posits that new possibilities may be envisaged by reframing the understanding of clothing from a unidirectional entity to one of multidirectional interchanges and dialogue. An interdisciplinary team made up of designers, an engineer and a weaver are exploring possibilities inherent in the act of conversation. Material- and form-based studies, generative and cultural probe techniques, and in situ explorations are being used to explore and propose: alternate means of thinking about the role of clothing (from statement to conversation); alternate means of communication, and alternate means of production and use. Nascent developments are provoking discussions about persistent habits of making, distribution and exchange connected to the garments we wear.