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Celebrating locality

Multicultural positive

No matter if we are able to travel to far-flung places or not – the mixing of cultures, nationalities and heritages happens all around us. It has done so for generations, though today it happens on a larger scale and to a wider demographic. Living in a multicultural world provides us the opportunity to see and understand life on earth from different perspectives, from which we can learn and grow. Globalisation has contributed to a faster and easier transfer of goods and thoughts. We have moved away from locality and diversity to a shared global aesthetic. The modern world stimulates homogeneity globally.

[BRAND NAME] wants to stimulate a more diverse understanding of our modern world by creating clothing that takes locality as inspiration for transforming globalised garments into localised expressions of our multicultural world.

Locally made & sold

Some things can only be found in very specific places in the world. However we have now access to almost anything from anywhere through the convenience of online shopping, international shipping and an interconnected world economy. Almost everything from anywhere is within our reach. The accessibility to such a wide gamma of goods from around the world has made us into greedy and unappreciative consumers. There is value in things being made and sold locally only, as it means the producer and consumer create a stronger connection; in physical contact the meeting of cultures can exist.

[BRAND NAME] wants to stimulate a cultural, personal and emotional exchange between brand, people and product by making certain products only available locally, close to its source of inspiration and/or production.

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DSM

One of my favourite places in London is Dover Street Market (probably my No.1 favourite place to be honest). I have been going there for many years to soak up the vibe and gain immense inspiration from the store design/layout, clothing designs on display, people that go and work there and Rose bakery. The complete package makes it’s worth visiting with frequency because there is always something new to discover or gain creatively.

The DSM logo has come to represent this experience and memory I have of this place. When I look at their logo, I feel connected to my inspired self. Analysing the logo further;

  • The shape is a sort of primal drawing shape, representing a house. This simplicity creates a sort of open platform for the diverse selection of brands and styles within the store.
  • A home which represents the family, which is very suited to their store concept; a group of brands together under one roof, some united by brand origin (Comme des Garçons) some related to it and yet others invited in as new friends.
  • “Dover Street Market” as a form of an adres places it in a space and time, a location*. Variations of the logo add the city name underneath “Market” (NEW YORK, LONDON, GINZA).
  • “Market” signifies a collection of sellers/retailers and a certain temporality to what’s on offer. It also brings up an image of a lively and communal atmosphere.

*Dover Street Market London, which was the first location of all DSM locations, was located originally on Dover Street in Mayfair, London. This is where its name originates from. Although the London store has since moved to Haymarket, its name is still linked to the first store location, rooting it in a place and linking it to a certain time.

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Global vs Local, Fashion vs Clothing

Current trends in fashion seem to be mostly self referential, in the sense that the clothing designs feed off (street)style and archival pieces/references. This creates a strong image that is coherent but refreshing as it’s based on designs and styles that float around in the subconscious minds of the wearer and creator simultaneously (at least amongst those that closely follow/relate to the fashion world). Extending beyond this realm of reference, it has become apart that a wider perspective on art has become a secondary source of inspiration (e.g. music, sculpture, painting).

Although it seems to be aspirational for many to become familiar with these reference points that have instigated pieces of contemporary fashion, it has become less important to know (or show, in the designs) a cultural background and history. Taking Louis Vuitton (Virgil Abloh) and Givenchy (Matthew Williams) as examples here, there is a certain influx of American perspectives within the fashion world (and within traditionally Parisian houses). But also beyond that, when you look at Balenciaga for example, Demna Gvasalia (Georgian) uses inspiration found in Eastern Europe. This however often seems to be a referencing a certain styles, which in turn is often an aspirational versions of an American one.

Thinking about this further

Is it possible to express locality in fashion design? Within the current day and age, in which everything is instantly shareable and readable online, is it even appropriate? Or is that precisely the reason why it would be important to share local identities, exactly because we are so connected and therefor loose a sense of place within the world?

How does expressing locality within fashion design look like? Is clothing design the same as fashion design? Can clothing more effectively represent a local identity than fashion, as fashion suggests a globally shared acceptance of something being “fashionable”?