Issue 21 – In Conversation with .. 10!

Alexis: Hello, I have started the recording.
Svea: Hello Alexis, I am thrilled.
Alexis: Let’s jump right in. How did we meet, Svea?
Svea: We’ve known each other indirectly since
our tailoring training, so for about ten years?
We met in Hamburg, or ...
Alexis: We’ve actually never met.
Svea: No, we just knew of each other.
Alexis: I actually didn’t know about you until we
won FashionXCraft in 2022. Then, when I did
some stalking, I realized we had mutual friends.
Svea: Yes, that's right.
Alexis: And then we were at FashionXCraft.
Svea: By The Fashion Council Germany.
And the Kings Foundation.
And the Swarovski Foundation.
SVEA:
I'm Svea, a trained tailor and pattern
director with a degree in womenswear
fashion design from CSM in London.
During my studies, I realized that
dressing similar body types was
getting monotonous. So, I began
creating different characters, starting
small with clay models and then scaling
up. My largest sculpture to date
measures 3 meters in length and width.
I then dressed these characters,
resulting in clothing that can be worn
by people. With the fundamental idea
of inclusion and freedom, I'm currently
establishing my own label.
Alexis:
I'm Alexis. I am also trained as a tailor
and later studied fashion design in
Berlin. Afterwards, I freelanced as a
costume designer and made bespoke
garments. However, I realized that the
traditional fashion industry and my
label weren't aligning well. So,
I'm currently pursuing my Master's in
Critical Fashion Practice to question my
role in the fashion and textile industries
and explore how I want to position
myself and continue working with
textiles in the future.
Alexis: A quick name drop. Exactly. So, our shared
background is tailoring and sewing. I think this
project was a significant bonding moment for us in
terms of how we view our craft within the fashion
industry and how we position ourselves in it.
I believe I have a pretty similar approach to you in
reimagining the body.
I feel the absence of physicality in the fashion
industry; it's very detached and alienated from
actual bodily experiences. So, the question arises,
how can we, with our craftsmanship, find a way to
reconnect with the human and physical aspects?
You have this approach of completely removing
yourself from the human aspect.
Svea: Yes, I think through this approach, new
and interesting things emerge. Because it allows
me to break free from typical beauty ideals and
standardized bodies. It gives me the freedom to
think about clothing in a completely different way.
Of course, I still apply what I've learned, but the
intention is different. For example, gender plays no
role anymore. Because the sculptures exist outside
of societal boundaries, and so does the resulting
clothing.
When a person wears this clothing, the potential
for self-expression is entirely different. It's much
more open and allows for much more.
The relationship with the sculptures is also somehow
surreal: I'm not just creating an external form;
they are complete characters. Often, they start
as a part of myself and then develop completely
differently. You get to know yourself and the
sculpture continuously in new ways. They develop
their own lives, and through clothing, they become
even more personalized.
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