Can the global issues of today’s pandemic be the key for more positive future of Fashion?

Welcome back!

In my second blog I will further discuss the Sustainability aspect of the Better Lives Unit.

I have to say, ironically due to the Covid19 outbreak, it is much easier for me to engage and fulfil this Better Lives project. But we will get back to it later.

For now, I would like to shortly talk through my chosen subject of this Unit which is ‘Navigating through Clothing’. To put it in other words, it’s a costume design project where I was introduced to the fundamental tasks and creative approaches of designers working in theatre or other performance related jobs. Due to adoration of film and acting I really enjoyed the workshops! Our work is based on a classic tale ‘Hansel and Gretel’ where we analyse, interpret and try to understand a chosen character (I have chosen the witch J). To sum up, our task is to create a costume for our chosen personage integrating the the key themes of the Better Lives Unit (Sustainability, Diversity or Social responsibility). 

Since I have chosen Sustainability as my key theme, I was feeling determined to use only rubbish I dispose everyday for my costume making. I really wanted to push my creativity by cutting the choice of materials and to use only things I can find at home. Thus, by cutting, sewing, gluing and modifying their color I reused everyday disposables such as various plastics and cartons and experimented making elements of clothing for the ‘witch’ character.

At the same time, I started to do research around the subject of ‘witches’. I was especially drawn to various tribes living in the cold, remote northern areas and luckily I found an extraordinary book called ‘Shamanic regalia in the far North’ by Patricia Rieff Anawalt. The book resonates very well with my personage, as it presents photographs of Shamanistic costumes of different tribes, giving thoughtful explanations of the outfit details. It also introduces beliefs and philosophy of people, who, contrarily to the modern human being, were especially close to nature.

While continuing with the project I, as every one of us, was interrupted by the covid19 outbreak in Europe. Therefore, I travelled back to Lithuania to stay with my family. Due to the pandemic, we decided to move to our summer house in a remote small village (there are only 3 residents living there!) completely surrounded by forests. Because of isolation from the outside world I was given access to an incredible vast of natural resources. I started collecting various mosses, lichens, tree mushrooms, fallen pieces of tree bark, pine cones among others with regard for continuing the costume making of my witch/shaman character. 

I have to admit I have never made a project concentrating on sustainability before. And as much I enjoy being in nature It has never occurred to me that my art practice can be fully sustainable. As much as I try not to sound overly dramatic, this Better Lives Unit really opened my eyes! I am more then ever fond of the idea of reuse, not to mention the importance of human familiarity with nature.

As much as upsetting the Covid19 pandemic is, I cannot be more grateful to rediscover my relationship with nature as I’m living in a village for almost a month now. Having so much time to think of all the new ways in which I am able to create, I believe that the difficulties of today will definitely help placing the seeds for a more sustainable, nature – human friendly future of the fashion industry.