Binding threads : shifting role of the designer from sole author to multi-story-enabler in fashion

Summary: Fashion has always been about telling stories and yet some stories are never told in the design process. All too frequently they are also missing in the clothing we wear. Hidden or neglected stories such as those connected to the experiences of displacement are important. They have value and are part of the identity construction for many people in the 21st century. Whether it is through a lived experience of moving or through the cultural convergence of mass media, individuals around the world are affected by the overwhelming pace of change in their surroundings and their social contexts. So the concept of identity and the need for a sense of self-expression are critical. The clothing we wear is arguably one of the most effective means to convey our personal identity and self-expression to/and with others. This thesis describes a project that has drawn on the potential of storytelling as a framework for the design process as well as the means for connection and self-expression. A platform has been envisaged and developed that invites people to engage with fashion in a way that enables a designer/researcher to consider, critique and suggest an alternative way of looking at the fashion service and design process that embraces multi-storytelling. Initiated by my personal journey of moving to a new country, early exploration in this practice-based research began with self-cultural discovery and storytelling. This phase of work not only offered the initial context and medium for future research but also provided me with an understanding of the potential of visual and/or oral storytelling for healing, expression and connection. Following this phase, through a series of workshops with peers, I explored clothing as a context for sharing stories of moving, home and identity. The knowledge and insight created through each study informed the development of subsequent research activities. Drawing on collaborative design, networking and heuristic inquiry, my approach has led me to realize that clothing, beyond being tangible and interactive, is highly evocative. All of this work has informed the development of a digital platform prototype, which seeks to invite people to share, read and wear personal moving experiences with others, acting as both an initiator and holder of stories, providing new ways for clothing to be accessed and made. Through my research, I have explored ways of designing clothes that are collaborative and act to give people a genuine way to express and share who they are. My work asserts the importance of critically evaluating how we engage with designing clothes. I have done so with the conviction that the common role of the fashion designer as the sole originator and storyteller is flawed, considering instead the role of the designer/ the design process as a multi-stories enabler.