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‘The spirit of the clown (+child) offers another way of being in the world’
At the beginning of graduation, it was clear to me that I wanted to focus on the growing mental problems among my generation, gen z, from a positive perspective. Through research, it became clear that when we see the clown fail, fall, make mistakes and make fun of themselves, there is a cathartic release; laughing at the clown helps us acknowledge and express emotions previously ignored. Hereby, the inner clown also offers as a communication tool to discuss mental problems and create awareness.
The garments do not show a literal clown, but instead show the values of the clown and child world.
DESIGN PROCESS
GRADUATION COLLECTION
With the designs, I wanted it to feel quirky, safe, soft, playful and comfortable, just like the clown and child world. Surrealism (playing with proportions), clown references (collars, hoops) and abstract stuffed animals are important elements for this.
'GOING AGAINST EXPECTATIONS'
is a collection which responds to the heavily charged world we live in today. Where I focus on how mental health of young people can be improved through the humor of clowning. Therefore, this collection brings back humor, positivity and playfulness and encourages young people to search for their inner clown.
The collection creates the ultimate clown and child world, where through the perspective of humor, imagination and playfulness a different view of the world becomes possible. You can be your craziest self in a world that goes against the seriousness of everyday life and creates a therapeutic anti-reality.
The collection has a big focus on print, where I focused on the clown's polka dots, diamond plaids and my sister's abstract drawings. The drawings of my sister show a different view of the world and free imagination. Like the clown, the drawings have a freedom of view and of rules. She creates an anti-reality her stroke of polka dots as sky + flowers and 'koppoter' (= drawing of a person, where the torso is missing).
The drawings are a way for her to communicate love and joy, something I also want to communicate with the collection through the print.
One of my sister’s drawings, big inspiration as starting point for the print experiments >
The surprise element or ‘going against expectations element’ of the prints is in the different techniques and textures.
KNIT
^ The final knit
Variation of polka dots.
The knit appears mainly in the abstract stuffed animals.
The stuffed animals in the collection are for a protective, comfortable and soft feeling against the heavily charged world. The filling element is also implemented in other items.
The knit isn't focused on technique or difficulty but rather is about being one with the print story.
LINE-UP
