PARSONS AND THE LONDON COLLEGE OF FASHION
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Local Wisdom NEW YORK, January 21, 2013—Parsons The New School for Design and the Center for Sustainable Fashion at the London College of Fashion have partnered to present LOCAL WISDOM, a project intended to change the way the public thinks about, buys and wears fashion. In an average household, 30 percent of a person’s wardrobe sits unused and unworn for at least a year, resulting in a massive $50 billion worth of unloved garments going to waste. However, a growing number of people are bucking the fast fashion trend and investing in alternative fashion experiences—from clothes swapping, to reworking garments with scissors and thread to create something new—that champion the craft of use above the constant thrill of purchase. LOCAL WISDOM will invite members of the public to bring important pieces from their wardrobe to the Parsons campus for a community photo shoot, where the organizers will gather unique and moving stories about how people use and care for their clothing—unearthing the stories behind the clothes and the people that live in the global fashion capital that is New York City. In addition to New York, the project will be visiting cities around the world including Vancouver, Melbourne, London, through 2014. “This groundbreaking project investigates how people use clothes, then harnesses this knowledge to drive fashion design,” said Timo Rissanen, Assistant Professor of Fashion Design and Sustainability at Parsons. “While we have in many ways reached the limit in terms of the economic and environmental costs of fashion, there are no limits to the levels of enjoyment and satisfaction it can bring us. Uncovering the somewhat invisible craft of clothing use allows new kinds of engagement between producers and consumers of fashion.” LOCAL WISDOM was conceived in 2009 by Dr. Kate Fletcher, Reader in Sustainable Fashion at the Centre for Sustainable Fashion, and has already interviewed hundreds of people about their very personal relationships with their most treasured garments: “This project celebrates the people who are finding riches and abundance within the limits of the stuff they already own. In tough economic times many are questioning whether our thirst for material goods is actually making us happy. Evidence suggests that it can actually undermine our capacity to enjoy them, so the challenge explored by Local Wisdom is how to pace consumption rather than maximize it.” LOCAL WISDOM is open to the public age 16 and over; changing facilities will be provided. For more information, please contact Timo Rissanen on [email protected] or Local Wisdom on [email protected] About LOCAL WISDOM About Parsons The New School for Design # # # |
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Media Contacts: Deborah Kirschner
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