For the third year in a row and with the aim of promoting inter-level projects and social design, Basic Projects II, 1st Fashion has collaborated with History of Art and Design II (1st DM), Basic Design II, Creative Techniques (3rd DM) and Photography Applied to Fashion Design II (3rd DM) in the Co-Design and Cultural Identity project.
Through collaborative workshops in the classroom, we have sought the active participation of the group of refugees and women survivors of trafficking, with the APIP-ACAM Foundation as an intermediary agent, together with ESDA students to create a creative proposal that highlights the cultural identity of the members of the group and promotes the reinterpretation of traditional fabrics, clothing and techniques in contemporary garments that are made without generating waste through the zero waste philosophy.
The main focus is the integration of photography, co-design and garment intervention as fundamental tools in this process. During the workshops, collaboration between the collective and the students has been encouraged, allowing for an exchange of knowledge and experiences. The creative proposal aims to value their identity and the contemporary cultural manifestations of the different countries of origin, rescuing elements of the textile tradition and adapting them to the context of fashion.
The aim of this initiative is not only to contribute to the social inclusion of this group, but also to raise awareness among students about the importance of sustainability and cultural diversity in Fashion Design.
Taking as a reference the project led by the professor Francesco Mazzarella at the Centre for Sustainable Fashion at the London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London (UAL), the project uses photography and fashion design to work with different cultural identities to exchange life experiences and achieve other intangible results such as empowerment, a sense of community or a critical sense, both among refugees and students.
