With regards to the transition towards the prominence of immaterial luxuries and conscious production, I chose for my diploma to pivot from an excessive high-volume fashion collection. Instead, I focused on a radically reduced series of statement accessories with the intent of pushing boundaries in terms of product categories, production, presentation, and communication. The resulting collection, unites tangible artifacts with intangible digital entities, represented as ‘non-material’ items in the form of files.

The collection, marries manual sculpting and draping with digital manipulation, exploring the interplay between these two realms. Rubber car tires, reminiscent of the luxury cars, demonstrate this fusion as they are deconstructed, handcrafted, molded, sewn, and re-assembled. Some were then digitally scanned, remodeled, and manipulated before being reimagined (3d printed) into new forms. Beyond mere visual metamorphosis, this process of creation signifies a continuous ebb and flow – a sensual transition from physical existence into a virtual realm and back again.

The location, a former bank building, historically represents a place of security, preservation, and negotiation of valuable assets. For the conclusion of my BA studies, we moved from the underground safe upwards with the lift towards the top floor, entering it as a counter-space. Characterized by high ceilings and church-like arches, the top floor is today repurposed as a space for movement and contemplation. My series of statement accessories were presented during a performance by six variations of an androgynous figure reminiscent of Narcissus, serving as both muse and inspiration. Rooted in Greek mythology, here the performers embody contemporary representatives and equally the potential for an alternative outcome to Narcissus' tale of self-centeredness within the unfolding narrative of our time. Divided into a dramaturgy of three sequences, accompanied by a soundscape.

Concept, Design | Pauline Lutz
Casting | Pauline Lutz
Location Scouting | Pauline Lutz
Sound & Choreography | Pauline Lutz
Photography | Pauline Lutz
Technical Translation Assistance | Martin Siegrist
Assistance | Nadine Möckli & Yves Meier

Institute for Fashion and Productdesign FHNW HGK Basel