Sommersemester 2015, Projektarchiv Mode

A WILD MAN HAS LONGING / 2015

Man Desires, so it is.

In this day and age we are bound to our cell phones and digital media as if connected by our umbilical cords. Our creative fantasies are replaced with current media, worlds of films like “Call of Arms 4” and “Transformers 5”, yet our discontent with these modern worlds becomes ever more apparent. Our longing to explore our origins and the rituals of our ancestors lies primordial within us.

In this collection I seek to return to the ‘Wild Man’ through exploring masquerades and rituals that stretch back centuries. The symbols and costumes of our ancestors in the books Maske (Phyllis Galembo) and Wilder Mann (Chares Fréger) are beautifully crafted; created with a sense of ritual and purpose beyond just its practical use. Yet to our modern hearts they also evoke feelings of mystery and disquiet, perhaps a sense of fear of being different. As children, we yet know no fear, we are naive and playful and through my four womenswear outfits, I wanted to explore the contrasting elements of these two worlds through the exploration of exuberant colour, a sense of wildness, blatant forms and naive construction.

New technologies have transformed our lifestyles and influenced our daily rituals in beneficial ways, yet not all aspects of technological wonders are positive, and leave us questioning the value of this overwhelming transformation. It seems like in our society, the onus lies on cheaply manufactured goods and consumerism; department stores are replete with goods and radiantly lit advertisements which influence our buying habits. This leaves us with a longing for something with a higher quality and meaning, not equated with monetary value. We seek something reliable, unconventional, original, hand crafted.

This desire to find a higher meaning beyond commercial value served as a bridge for me to explore the themes of traditional costumes worn for centuries in past cultures. Our world is awry with instability and uncertainty, from politics to economic markets. Traditional wear has rules and structure, a sharp contrast to the fleeting whims of fashion and trends of today. This sense of tradition brings us back to something steadfast, it reminds us of a time where the world seemed whole, where objects and clothing had meaning, providing us with comfort in times of uncertainty.