‘The ego era is over’ at Arnhem’s fashion festival State of Fashion

A girl puts the scissors in the side seam of a dark green JWAnderson sweater. She cuts all the way to the armpit and – rats! – the sleeve is also open. Not much later she sits behind a sewing machine and sews a bright orange piece of fabric in between, from a sweater from a thrift shop in Arnhem. People of all ages are embroidering, cutting and felting around her. They participate in the workshop ‘Give your favorite sweater a second life’.

It is one of the countless workshops on the program of the second edition of State of Fashion, the biennial fashion festival that takes place in Arnhem until 10 July. The organization builds on the fashion biennials that were organized in Arnhem from 2005 to 2013, but at the same time changes course. Previous editions had light-hearted themes like happy (2007) and shape (2009). This year, with Ways of Caring as subject, all abuses in the fashion industry exposed: environmental pollution, overproduction, exploitation of personnel, but also outdated ideas about gender and beauty ideals. It is without a doubt the most activist edition ever.

Co-curators

Previously, the biennale was always curated by a single curator – including trend watcher Lidewij Edelkoort and fashion illustrator Piet Paris. “That is really no longer possible,” says Iris Ruisch, head of programming. “We just want to get as many different voices heard as possible. The time of egos is over. Fashion must become more democratic.” That is why a call was placed last year to find co-curators. That was two parties. Fashion Open Studio, the curation department of the international non-profit organization Fashion Revolution (established in 2013 after the collapse of the Rana Plaza factory in Bangladesh). And NOT____ENOUGH collective, three South American women who got to know each other at the fashion department of ArtEZ in Arnhem and who conduct research into inequality and oppression in the fashion industry.

The previous edition took place at one location, the Coberco factory. Now there are five different places, within walking distance of each other. A clothing library has been opened in the Rozet cultural center, where designs by Arnhem designers, unbranded vintage clothes, but also the beaded couture by Cedric Mizero from Rwanda can be exchanged, bought or borrowed. Three floors lower, visitors can think along about the shopping street of the future. And in the ‘Recovery Garden’ in Sonsbeek Park, plants grow with which fabrics can be dyed. On the Audrey Hepburnplein, in the middle of the city center, talks and tours are given on a variety of subjects. Just on the street, so passers-by can catch up. “In the past, the biennale has been too exclusive,” says Ruisch. “We want to be as accessible as possible, everyone should feel welcome.”

The fifth location is called Showroom, a space where a different ‘designer in residence’ works every week. During the opening weekend, it was Duran Lantink, who went with a group of fashion students to a retirement home in Arnhem to make new clothes with the residents from second-hand theater costumes. The photos of the eighty-somethings in those designs are a highlight.

Lantink is also one of the biggest names at the biennale, showing almost exclusively work by completely unknown talent. Not a single well-known name can be found at the main exhibition in the Eusebius Church. The designers and artists – from all over the world – were selected via an open call, just like the curators. Their work is quite conceptual and therefore not necessarily very accessible. To make it accessible, visitors are encouraged to touch (some) works by signs with “please touch”. And to one of the largest installations, an ever-growing web of handicrafts that hangs from the ceiling of the church, everyone can add their own piece of crochet, plaiting or macramé.

Impressive are the designs by Molly Jae Vaughan from Seattle, dedicated to murdered trans women. Her design process always starts with a Google Maps screenshot of the murder location, which she then creates a decorative pattern in Photoshop.

Most striking are the three enormous clothes racks full of identical garments made of white test cotton. They are samples from factories, labeled with texts such as: “My mother cried when she saw how small my workplace was.” And: “When I came home from a day’s work, I was so tired that I couldn’t eat anymore.” These are quotes from interviews with factory workers from Indonesia, South Africa and Colombia. Try not to think about that when you walk back to the station via the large shopping streets full of fast-fashion.

State of Fashion, until 10/7 at various locations in the city center of Arnhem. Info: stateoffashion.org