Zooming out to get fashion’s core
- Jonas
Upon entering the KINDL – Centre for Contemporary Art in Berlin, Neukölln, the show had already started. Something quite unusual for fashion week, where chatter, judgy looks and delays are as normal as the models on the runway – not at Sveasøn, however.
The models were all gathered in a control tower overlooking the venue, clearly visible to the arriving visitors through its large windows. Illuminated in pink neon light, they seemed to prepare for what was to come, slowly swaying, audibly gasping from time to time, then turning to the crowd below – creeping through the windows – like aliens just waiting to be released. This would not be a conventional show, as was now clear to everyone, even to those who weren’t familiar with the brand before.
Downstairs with the visitors, Sveasøn’s signature larger-than-life sculptures were positioned circularly in the middle of the room, reminiscent of a prehistoric ritual site. Their playful shapes with oversized hands and feet, and varying numbers of limbs and circular heads reminded of kids’ clay sculptures and with their shiny silver appearance, the whole set spread otherworldly, alien-like vibes.
This was the starting point of “MØLYBDØMANCY“ which according to the show notes describes “an ancient divination practice using molten metals to create shapes that are later interpreted“, and with this event, is was also the official launch of designer Svea Beckedorf’s brand Sveasøn.
As soon as the doors closed, the models, one after the other, made their way down to the circular “runway”. Their alien-like appearance which from afar had been mystical, even a bit threatening, now shifted upon closer sight. Dressed in neon colors, batik patterns and voluptuous furs, the unfamiliar characters seemed nice and friendly. But that was not all: Synthetic fabrics, the use of elastic bands and generally peculiar silhouettes gave hints that despite the bold looks, there was a yet to be revealed functionality in the collection.
Accompanied by eerie, ambient music, the models moved slowly among the sculptures. Over time, music and movements intensified, revealing that they were actually not only models but also performers. Lead by choreographer Tabea Jung, who conceptualized the performance, they started moving rhythmically to the metallic percussion sounds, dancing in sync, moving in circles around the sculptures, transforming the runway into a ritualistic site of an unknown culture.
With its participants in a trance-like state, such a mysterious ritual might feel intimidating in some cases, but not here. The performers were seen smiling and having fun, and that feeling spilled over to the audience. Captivated by the performance and music, the crowd was drawn deeper and deeper into this foreign culture. That this was still, at its core, a fashion show only became clear again when parts of the performers’ outfits were taken off and used to dress the silver sculptures. This seemed to complete the ritual, signified by techno music blasting and the performers ecstatically jumping to the beat. Then the show was over, leaving the audience in the room with the now dressed sculptures.,
What had we just witnessed? I, for one, felt touched and a bit overwhelmed as there was a lot to think about. The clothes, performance, sculptures and music had created a multi-layered, complex experience and most of all, there was the feeling of having experienced something intimate and profound.
The exact nature of this “ritual“ and the relationship between the human performers and sculptures remained unclear – they could be gods, ancestors or aliens. What became evident, however, was the open and caring attitude of the performers towards them, culminating in the act of dressing them and without a doubt, the fashion was the key to what Svea Beckedorf wanted to express.
Through the interaction of performers and sculptures, she communicated something that is often forgotten when thinking about fashion and style: The deeply personal nature of clothing.
Put directly onto our naked bodies, clothes mark the boundary of our body and the outside world, physically protecting us from the forces of nature and visually representing us.
By taking fashion out of the everyday context and dressing these unknown beings, Beckedorf managed to create a strong empathy towards those unknown beings and reminded of fashion’s intimate nature.
Nowadays, especially on social media, fashion has a tendency to be something to boast yourself with, often creating unattainable standards and a sense of unapproachability. It often feels like a mere tool to show one’s belonging to a certain group and to distance oneself from others, rather than a form of true self expression – something that also works in reverse, when first impressions based on personal style result in people being put into a category.
You could feel Beckedorf challenging this by embracing fun and openness towards something outside the norm. The bold colors and experimental silhouettes did not fit any existing category. Fur used in boots, pants and jackets drew a parallel between humans and animals, highlighting the similar nature of clothing and animal skin as a protective layer as well as hinting at fur as humanity’s first encounter with the concept of clothing.
Batik-dyed pieces reminded of hippyesque communities and, as the most popular and accessible form of DIY clothing design, also communicated approachability.
Besides the social significance of garments, another aspect of the show was the topic of physical inclusion and body norms in fashion. While experimental silhouettes are seen in many fashion shows, especially at the young and artsy Berlin Fashion Week, they mostly serve artistic purposes. At Sveason however, it became clear that the cuts, bulges and straps additionally served a functional purpose as they were designed to not only fit humans but the sculptures alike. To think this was a show about clothes that fit aliens, however, would not do Beckedorf’s creations justice. By zooming out and considering clothing for other life forms, the show sparked a reflection on sizing norms and beauty standards that we often take for granted. When a piece of clothing is constructed to fit larger-than-life fictional characters as well as humans, suddenly conventional body standards and the difference between size M and S seem ridiculous.
Generally, by creating a setting outside the familiar fashion context and broadening our human-centric perspective on clothes, Beckedorf made it possible to create an environment where her creations could be viewed with fresh eyes while also prompting a broader reflection on our relationship with clothing.
After this fascinating experience, I had to dig deeper and find out more about Svea Beckedorf and her work. Looking through her Instagram, a cohesive development of her work can be seen. In early sketches from 2018 and 2019 show that Svea does not like to create for the standard human body. Exaggerated proportions, alien faces and whirls of color make the sketches look more like stand-alone artworks than preliminary work for textile creations.
Her Central Saint Martins graduation show in 2021 first introduced GREDDF, TIKMAN, SLIJM, FØLE – TUNNE, SLIJM, FOFONA, MLOOG-LYTTE – large-scale sculptures like the ones seen at her debut show. These characters, sculpted by Svea herself, are each linked to different character traits and moods of the designer. „I am maybe the only person whose imaginary friends ever become a reality“, an Instagram caption reads. She then went on to create garments for these friends, fitted for their unique physiognomy and personalities, which were transferred onto human models. „The sculptures exist outside of societal boundaries, and so does the resulting clothing“, she said in an interview last year.
Does this mark a fashion revolution? Will we soon see garments labeled “size: sculpture” in mainstream fashion? That’s not the point. Every brand represents something larger than the clothes themselves—an ethos, a perspective, a way of seeing the world. And while Sveasøn’s collection featured its fair share of pieces fit for everyday use, the heart of the show was its radical reminder of fashion’s often forgotten qualities – its intimate nature, its possibility for self expression as well as its power for connection.
Who should read this?
