artisanal and slow: the case of anna ruohonen

217 Pages·2016·4.84 MB·English

Fashion
In-between
artisanal design and production of fashion
maarit aakko
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Maarit aakko is a researcher in the
field of fashion design. Her work centers
on the artisanal approach to fashion
within the current cultural and societal
environment, with the focus on the
relationship between aesthetics and
quality.
She holds an Ma in Craft Studies,
an apparel and textiles design and
research program, from the University
of Helsinki; she also studied at Parsons
School of Design, The New School (New
York). Sharing an equal interest in theory
and practice of fashion design, she has
also worked as a patternmaker. She has
divided her time between Helsinki and
New York for a number of years, and
is currently based at Aalto University
School of Arts, Design and Architecture
in Helsinki.

Aalto University publication series
doctoral dissertations 88/2016
School of Arts, Design and Architecture
Aalto ARTS Books
Helsinki
books.aalto.fi
© Maarit Aakko
Graphic design: Minna Luoma
Candy Graphics
Materials: Scandia Natural 115 g/m2
and Terreus Natural 270 g/m2
Type: Noe Text & Display, Meta
Front cover: Maarit Aakko
Inside covers: Jona Sees
isbn 978-952-60-6800-8 (printed)
isbn 978-952-60-6401-5 (pdf)
issn-l 1799-4934
issn 1799-4934 (printed)
issn 1799-4942 (pdf)
Printed in Premedia Helsinki, Finland
2016
ARTISANAL DESIGN AND PRODUCTION OF FASHION
MAARIT AAKKO
contents
Abstract 6
Acknowledgements 8
List of publications 11
1 introduction 13
2 at the intersection of ‘fashion’ and ‘craft’ 19
2.1 Fashion as a concept 20
2.2 Roots of the fashion industry 21
2.3 The fashion system: modes of production 28
2.4 Fashion designers’ role in the current fashion industry 31
2.5 Implications of the current fashion system 36
2.6 Alternative paradigms: sustainable and slow fashion 41
2.7 ‘Artisanal’ and craft 45
3 research design 51
3.1 The grounded theory process 51
3.2 The phases of research 53
3.3 The data of the study 56
3.4 Assessing the quality of the study 60
4 summary of papers 65
5 central themes of the study 73
5.1 Skillful materiality 74
5.2 Designer’s integrated role 90
5.3 Freedom for creative control 94
5.4 Materializing values 98
6 conclusions 109
Bibliography 116
Appendix 1: Interview schedule 122
Appendix 2: The phases of research 123
Appendix 3: Summary of the articles 124
Abstrakti 126
original research papers 129
# 1 Less But Better: Towards Sustainable Fashion 130
# 2 Designing Sustainable Fashion: Possibilities and Challenges 142
# 3 Artisanal and Slow: The Case of Anna Ruohonen 152
# 4 Creative Control in Sustainable Fashion 164
# 5 Crafting Aesthetics: The Meaning of Materiality and
The Making Process in Artisanal Fashion 182
# 6 Unfolding Artisanal Fashion 192
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abstract
Despite the dominating role of mass-manufacturing of fashion today,
some studio-based designers prefer an artisanal approach to fashion: they
produce on a small scale, often locally, and utilize expert craftsmanship
and traditional techniques as part of their design and production methods.
Examining the concept of ‘artisanal’ in the context of contemporary
fashion, this doctoral dissertation aims to decode the essential features
of artisanal fashion. It also analyzes the significance of this approach and
its relationship to the current cultural and societal environment. The
study takes a particular look at the designer’s role in artisanal houses,
and examines his/her ability to control and influence the process and
the outcome. Compared to the mainstream clothing industry, artisanal
fashion, with its emphasis on craftsmanship, offers an alternative
approach.
As this area of fashion remains largely unexamined in the academia,
this dissertation set out to uncover the basic principles of artisanal fashion
with an inductive approach. The primary data was gathered through
interviewing the designers of eleven small-scale, entrepreneurial fashion
labels. Complementary material about these companies and their ways
of operating was collected by ethnographic methods, such as atelier and
showroom visits. The author also gathered supplementary data through
participant observation while working part-time as an assistant and
a patternmaker at an artisanal fashion design studio.
As the findings of this study illustrate, essentially, artisanal fashion
integrates traditional craftsmanship and contemporary fashion design;
craft-based methods are applied in innovative ways with an eye for today’s
cultural and visual climate. At the core of this approach is the concept of
‘skillful materiality,’ which relates to the artisanal elements of the design
and making processes: the attention given to high-quality materials
and expert garment construction. Secondly, it is characterized by the
‘designer’s integrated role.’ Commonly, in artisanal ateliers, the designer
is also the owner and the principal of the company. Such a centralized
role provides an opportunity for the designer to be strongly involved in
the design and production processes, and work closely with her workers,
suppliers and often the end customers. Thirdly, the independent position
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of these companies provides ‘freedom for creative control’ in decisions
regarding design, production and business management, and allows the
designer to tailor the work to his/her personal philosophy, referred here as
a potential for ‘materializing values.’
From a larger perspective, this dissertation discusses such fashion
production that lives at the cutting edge of the conventional fashion
industry, and thus offers an alternative viewpoint to the current, resource-
depleting fashion system. The study contributes to the search for more
considerate ways of garment manufacture that support a slower fashion
cycle. It also shows that traditional and craft-based methods of design and
production can be relevant in today’s world. The small scale, local focus
and independence of artisanal fashion companies provide an opportunity
to integrate ethically and environmentally sound principals at the core of
their work.
Keywords:
fashion
fashion designer
artisanal production
slow fashion
materiality
skill
craft
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acknowledgements
I wish to sincerely thank the many people who have provided me generous
support during this incredible journey. In particular I am fortunate to
have had the advice and encouragement of professor Kirsi Niinimäki
whose supervision has guided me through the past four and half years of
my doctoral research. Special thanks also to professor Sampsa Hyysalo
whose guidance and support have given me confidence at the exact right
moments.
I am extremely grateful to all the designers featured in this study for
generously giving me their time for interviews, and also for allowing me
to use images of their work in this publication. I feel fortunate to have had
the chance to meet so many wonderful people on this path, and hear many
inspiring stories. I warmly thank you all.
I would also like to thank my pre-examiners, Dr. Alison Gwilt and
Dr. Yuniya Kawamura, for their time, interest and valuable comments
on the manuscript, which helped me to clarify my ideas and improve the
quality of my thesis. I am also thankful to Dr. Hazel Clark who kindly
agreed to be my opponent for the defense of this thesis.
My appreciation also goes to Dr. Ritva Koskennurmi-Sivonen,
the co-author of my first article. It was one of her courses at the University
of Helsinki that initially got me interested in fashion research, and
particularly the intersection of fashion and craft.
I gratefully acknowledge the financial support from Aalto University
School of Arts, Design and Architecture, Emil Aaltonen Foundation, Oskar
Öflund Foundation, Niilo Helander Foundation, The Finnish Cultural
Foundation (SKR), Arts Promotion Centre Finland (TAIKE), Finlandia
Foundation/New York Chapter and The Finnish Concordia Fund. Thank
you – these scholarships made my dissertation possible.
Many thanks to the professors, faculty and colleagues at Aalto ARTS
who I have worked with over these years, particularly professor Turkka
Keinonen, for all the encouragement and advice, and our research group
Fashion/Textile Futures for all the support. Special thanks to Julia and
Namkyu for reading over my drafts, and to Cindy for giving me a lot of
practical advice.
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