What Makes Clothes Meaningful to You? : Conversations about Clothes, on Clothes, as a Tool for Meaning Creation in Fashion Design

As the functional necessity for new clothing decreases, or even disappears completely, there is a need for experimentation with alternative ways of instilling meaning and purpose in fashion design. The workshop series ‘What Makes Clothes Meaningful to You?’, which was part of my doctoral research ‘Dialogical Narratives as Method and Matter for Meaning Creation in Fashion Design Practice’ aims to generate intimate and critical discussions around clothing and fashion design, production, acquisition, use and disposal. Subsequently, participants’ hand-written and drawn insights on the use phase of clothes will be translated into matter for meaning creation in the design phase. The research draws from and builds on existing garment-wearer attachment theories through practice.