Panoramadeck presentation hosted by Taskforce Fashion

In the autumn of 2020, Taskforce Fashion started an experiment called ‘Residency for Responsible Fashion’. During this experiment, the designers were challenged to question the current reality and the fashion system, in order to eventually offer possible solutions for the future. Through field trips, desktop research and in-depth conversations with experts from the field, the teams investigated the social-cultural challenges of the cities Tilburg, Maastricht and Rotterdam.

Corona challenged our designers to find new ways of presenting their design-through-research. Rather than merging the different team projects into one presentation, each team created their own local platform. This way, the projects could be presented in a meaningful place with a close relation to the research. From an exhibition space to a primary school class: unconventional and creative solutions were thought of.

Results are presented in a short documentary in which the participants reflect on the process and methodology. In addition, the research is depicted in, among other things, photography, workshops, textiles and jewellery.

Team Maastricht hosted a day full of workshops with the children of the ‘Manjefiek Malberg school’. Through a series of fashion-related workshops the designers stimulated the kids to talk about their emotions in a fun and playful way. How do they dress up to represent the emotions of ‘amazement’, ‘anger’ or ‘happiness’? What memories do some of their t-shirts recall and how can we exchange them? These and many more questions formed the foundation of the workshops. In addition, the team wrote a manifest on the close relation between social and emotional development.

Rotterdam is incredibly rich in diversity and hosts more than 173 nationalities. Yet, there is a huge divide between inhabitants with different backgrounds, education and incomes. Team Rotterdam investigated a neighborhood where this divide is rapidly emerging, because of gentrification: the Oude Noorden. How can fashion play a positive role in enhancing contact and social cohesion in this area?

Rather than focusing on overcoming the differences between inhabitants, the designers chose to focus their research on ways to find shared values and stories. Team Rotterdam proposed a set of tools that encourage new conversations with inhabitants of all ages and backgrounds. With fashion & identity as a base, the designers seeked for common ground and connections between longtime residents and newcomers.