2019/2020
CO-CURATIOn and Art Direction Team of the Event Series:

Nobody’s Fashion Week featured works and public programs by 30+ alternative artists, designers, educators and organizers using wearables, textiles and the body as a medium. Their practices span a range of themes – such as personal identity, body politics, cultural history, sustainability, craft and technology – but all share roots in critically engaging with fashion. From September 1 – October 15 2020, we launched a six week exhibition, consisting of an online exhibition, artist residency, participatory workshops, artist talks and other public programming. We wanted to engage with and empower both emerging designers and everyday people to find fertile spaces to express themselves through clothing and to share their creations. After the show Johanna Schwab created a Zine together with all participating artists. 

Curators: Lexy Ho-Tai, Dew Igworia, Jaime Iglehart, Johanna Schwab

Nobody’s Fashion Week took place online and in the gallery of Flux Factory New York City, with support from the Ministry for Arts, Culture the Civil Service and Sport of Austria, the Austrian Cultural Forum New York, Bildrecht – Austria`s Collective Management Organisation (CMO) für Visual Arts, and a generous donation from Joe Castillo.

 

Fashion is all around us. Fashion is body politics, representation, sustainability, systems. Fashion is a medium that everybody participates in, whether they like it or not. Fashion is Powerful. 

Nobody’s Fashion Week aims to democratize Fashion by encouraging multidisciplinary collaboration, skill-sharing culture, and self-expression for everyone.

During Covid-19, we have witnessed the current fashion industry crumble as clothing sales go down, shows get cancelled, and more people turn to DIY. We ask, with hope: What will be rebuilt in the shell of the previous industry? Who’s Fashion Week is it? Nobody’s Fashion Week is a reimagining of the fashion industry from the bottom up.

Our show was dreamed up as a response to the hegemony, wastefulness and gate-keeping of the corporate fashion industry. Nobody’s Fashion Week is a growing community of independent designers taking agency in redefining our own Fashion Week and proposing alternative systems for Fashion.

We believe people of all backgrounds, sizes and abilities should have agency over their self-expression. We invite anyone to engage in our community and conversations as we collectively redefine the future of fashion. 

(Press release)

"Life is a Balanced Journey"  is a series of videos showcasing Afro Futuristic avant garde wearable art which incorporates robotics and couture design technique by the label HAUS OF YBA. The series poetically unveils the stories behind the pieces.
"Life is a Balanced Journey"  is a series of videos showcasing Afro Futuristic avant garde wearable art which incorporates robotics and couture design technique by the label HAUS OF YBA. The series poetically unveils the stories behind the pieces.
Slide of Artist´s Town Hall. Each participating artists present their work in 3 minutes. Here: Giana Pilar González presents "Hacking Couture"
Slide of Artist´s Town Hall. Each participating artists present their work in 3 minutes. Here: Giana Pilar González presents "Hacking Couture"
Giana Pilar González workshop "Everybody Map Your Code": Where is fashion now? Does it matter anymore? In this workshop we will focus on YOU, the wearer, the performer, the person. AS COVID-19 confines us, where else can we look up for inspiration but the true source: WITHIN. You are the code, you are the source. In this workshop, we will get deep into our own story, our own persona as a source of inspiration. Basic intro to mapping and examples in generating maps to reverse engineer brands will be shared followed by a remote hands-on workshop and sharing .  
Giana Pilar González workshop "Everybody Map Your Code": Where is fashion now? Does it matter anymore? In this workshop we will focus on YOU, the wearer, the performer, the person. AS COVID-19 confines us, where else can we look up for inspiration but the true source: WITHIN. You are the code, you are the source. In this workshop, we will get deep into our own story, our own persona as a source of inspiration. Basic intro to mapping and examples in generating maps to reverse engineer brands will be shared followed by a remote hands-on workshop and sharing .  
Documeted "Everybody Map your Code"
Documeted "Everybody Map your Code"
Isabel Hajian models her fashion creations for others to draw in "Drink & Draw", hosted by Lexy Ho-Tai
Isabel Hajian models her fashion creations for others to draw in "Drink & Draw", hosted by Lexy Ho-Tai
A digital drawing I made from Isabel while she modelled.
A digital drawing I made from Isabel while she modelled.
Ji Ae Sohn models her own creation
Ji Ae Sohn models her own creation
A drawing by one of the participants of "Drink & Draw"
A drawing by one of the participants of "Drink & Draw"
Janelle Abbot gives tour through her studio on Instagram Live and introduces a Zero Waste technique.
Janelle Abbot gives tour through her studio on Instagram Live and introduces a Zero Waste technique.
"Dhagay Dag" by Minelle V.: The short film is a reflection of the artist‘s experience growing up as a woman in Pakistan and having travelled to Mecca for pilgrimage. It is an attempt to challenge beliefs and expectations on gender roles that have been carried forward by society, through oppressive ancient traditions practiced in the Indian Subcontinent, that were further influenced by western colonization. 
"Dhagay Dag" by Minelle V.: The short film is a reflection of the artist‘s experience growing up as a woman in Pakistan and having travelled to Mecca for pilgrimage. It is an attempt to challenge beliefs and expectations on gender roles that have been carried forward by society, through oppressive ancient traditions practiced in the Indian Subcontinent, that were further influenced by western colonization. 
Ji Ae Sohn and the participants of "Repurposing frees the Mind": One hour workshop that helps to relax the stresses that you had from Monday to Thursday. Take a moment to celebrate your Thursday before the end of the week comes to you. It’s a safe place where we draw, color, and free our minds through doodles. Feel free to enjoy this session to celebrate your week!
Ji Ae Sohn and the participants of "Repurposing frees the Mind": One hour workshop that helps to relax the stresses that you had from Monday to Thursday. Take a moment to celebrate your Thursday before the end of the week comes to you. It’s a safe place where we draw, color, and free our minds through doodles. Feel free to enjoy this session to celebrate your week!
A weekly session of talks with Verena Meyer about changing fashion related topics.
A weekly session of talks with Verena Meyer about changing fashion related topics.
We wanted people to creatively document the show and this is a guideline of how to be a "reporter in residence" of the show and also a press pass I designed.
We wanted people to creatively document the show and this is a guideline of how to be a "reporter in residence" of the show and also a press pass I designed.
Emily Flores was on of our reporters. This drawing shows the session"What we wore" led by Isabel Hajian: A zoom gathering to share images and stories about outfits worn and the memories tied to them. Do you vividly remember certain garments from your past? Things your mother, grandfather, siblings, friends, middle-school enemies, role models, etc. used to wear, and the impact those outfits left on you? Looks you put together as a child? What do we recall about clothing, dressing, or dressing up, and why? This zoom chat will be a group reminiscing, using fashion as a gateway to memory. Participants are encouraged to bring an image they'd like to share, and to draw during our discussion.
Emily Flores was on of our reporters. This drawing shows the session"What we wore" led by Isabel Hajian: A zoom gathering to share images and stories about outfits worn and the memories tied to them. Do you vividly remember certain garments from your past? Things your mother, grandfather, siblings, friends, middle-school enemies, role models, etc. used to wear, and the impact those outfits left on you? Looks you put together as a child? What do we recall about clothing, dressing, or dressing up, and why? This zoom chat will be a group reminiscing, using fashion as a gateway to memory. Participants are encouraged to bring an image they'd like to share, and to draw during our discussion.
Gabby Vazques held a talk called "Visual Culture in the Americas: Painting Propaganda, Politics, and Memory": A presentation of paintings as propaganda and/or informal political posters, and how dress performed as a tool in communicating a message. There will be a focus on colonial imagery developed in the Americas, as well as cultural and visual references to indigenous history.
Gabby Vazques held a talk called "Visual Culture in the Americas: Painting Propaganda, Politics, and Memory": A presentation of paintings as propaganda and/or informal political posters, and how dress performed as a tool in communicating a message. There will be a focus on colonial imagery developed in the Americas, as well as cultural and visual references to indigenous history.
Kate Saubestre reported on Gabby´s presentation.
Kate Saubestre reported on Gabby´s presentation.
Digital Drawing I made of the Workshop "Embodied Fantasy" by Maggie Segale: Somatic embodiment fantasy time! A guided (online) workshop for participants to move and feel the unlimited worlds within their body, and to relate that to movement, and clothing. How do you dream to feel within, and how does that translate to fashion?
Digital Drawing I made of the Workshop "Embodied Fantasy" by Maggie Segale: Somatic embodiment fantasy time! A guided (online) workshop for participants to move and feel the unlimited worlds within their body, and to relate that to movement, and clothing. How do you dream to feel within, and how does that translate to fashion?
Durational Performance "Laundry Service" by YunRay Chung in the gallery of Flux Factory: A performance art piece with hand washing second-hand garments/recycled garments for 8 hours, breaking down the clothes then hand sewing and mending all holes created by the wash for 8 hours with gold thread. Highlighting the flaws and imperfections of clothes and challenging the idea of „perfect“ clothing and „new“ clothing every season in fashion industry, and hoping to reshape the stereotypes for elderly and „old“.
Durational Performance "Laundry Service" by YunRay Chung in the gallery of Flux Factory: A performance art piece with hand washing second-hand garments/recycled garments for 8 hours, breaking down the clothes then hand sewing and mending all holes created by the wash for 8 hours with gold thread. Highlighting the flaws and imperfections of clothes and challenging the idea of „perfect“ clothing and „new“ clothing every season in fashion industry, and hoping to reshape the stereotypes for elderly and „old“.
Performance "Speaking Bodies" by moira williams in the gallery of Flux Factory: A durational, bio-ritualistic unwrapping, wrapping and throwing performance by disabled artist moira williams with a body of shoes formerly worn by or recognized as compromising by self-identifying disabled, crip, d/Deaf, Mad, Sick, Low sighted, Blind and/or chronically ill people. Each shoe holds a Crip utterance that will be released throughout and following the performance through gesture, ritual and sound.
Performance "Speaking Bodies" by moira williams in the gallery of Flux Factory: A durational, bio-ritualistic unwrapping, wrapping and throwing performance by disabled artist moira williams with a body of shoes formerly worn by or recognized as compromising by self-identifying disabled, crip, d/Deaf, Mad, Sick, Low sighted, Blind and/or chronically ill people. Each shoe holds a Crip utterance that will be released throughout and following the performance through gesture, ritual and sound.
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