2021
Stef Reijnierse
  • SUMMARY
graduate of Royal Academy of Art, The Hague

OPEN END

This collection aims to lengthen the lifespan of clothing and showcase new appreciation for garments, by combining the qualities of clothing and those of objects. The garments are constructed using industrial materials like fiberglass, metal, and carbon fiber. These structures are entirely removable.

As a result, each piece can be worn both as a traditional garment, and simultaneously evolve into an object. They can be hung up on walls as art, and maintain their own presence, in the absence of a human body that serves as a canvas. It is a dialogue between the human body and the space surrounding it. The collection references workwear and military wear, lending a design approach which communicates that the pieces should be repaired over and over again. This approach focuses on the bond created with the garment, which deepens over time with repeated use, extending its lifetime value.

Moreover, the incorporated exoskeleton makes movement difficult, and substantially decreases natural range of motion, conferring a unique feeling of spatial awareness. When the structure is removed however, there is new appreciation for the clothing that is returned to its original fluid state and fulfills its purpose without restricting.