In collaboration with Alexa Pollmann. Director of Peut-Porter.
Subject Leader in Wearable Technology, London College of Fashion.

Fashion as a form of nonverbal communication is a means to negotiate identity politics. As we get dressed in the morning, we don't just put on clothes, we start writing informal messages about who we are and what social, political and cultural groups and ideals we identify with. We collage the self, reflecting values and moods, and consciously or unconsciously, we situate and discuss who we are - and who we would like to be or become. In a constant exchange with our body, the materials we cloth ourselves in become a meta-layer of visual semaphores. The virtual realm extends our capabilities to write fictions and fairytales about ourselves, form alter egos and hybrids that far exceed what is currently considered in the concept of the avatar. Crafting digital clothes offers an opportunity to understand this interplay and turns virtual spaces into playgrounds for self-expression.

This 4-part workshop series will introduce you to the tools, concepts and approaches to explore these areas in more detail. Across the sessions, you will be creating a physical costume, which we will then work to translate into a piece of digital clothing. Along the way, we will discuss the complex relationship between clothing and identity.

No prior experience in clothing design or computer skills is required, but the workshop sessions will form a complete project so you will be expected to be present for all four.

Sign up via the link below, or on the GMD Moodle Page