Fashion design as a space for critical reflection
What does critical thinking mean at a design school where the emphasis is on design practice? As part of Beckmans College of Design’s third artistic research project, a new digital anthology brings together theory and practice in higher fashion education, contributing to the current international conversation on critical fashion practice.
“As a lecturer in fashion theory at a design college, I work at the intersection of theory and practice. I find it striking that reflective and critical perspectives on fashion design are underrepresented in academic fashion studies, where designers play a central role but are rarely given a voice. The same is true of the fashion industry, where the designer’s role has historically been defined in economic and consumerist terms,” says Maria Ben Saad, editor of the anthology, Senior Lecturer in Fashion Theory at Beckmans College of Design and Head of Artistic and Contextual Studies.
Essays, conversations and visual commentaries
The anthology Critical Fashion: Reflections in Theory and Practice brings together personal essays, commentaries and conversations. Most of the contributors are connected to Beckmans as alumni, lecturers or visiting tutors, while many also work at design schools and institutions internationally.
“Through this project, I wanted to explore fashion design as a space for critical reflection, and what that might mean for both theory and practice. In particular, the study centres on the concept of critical fashion practice, which has gained traction in international academia in recent years. Drawing primarily on examples from former Beckmans students, I also wanted to show how critical thinking can take shape in practice,” says Maria Ben Saad.
Alongside different perspectives on the subject explored in the text, the publication also presents visual applications based on gender-nonconforming forms of expression, primarily in students’ degree projects.
Digital publication
To reach as many people as possible, the project will be available online and in English, with new content published twice a week from 23 October 2020 at www.criticalfashionproject.org.
The project publication was developed by Peter Ström and Mattias Jakobsson at the graphic design studio Konst & Teknik. Peter Ström is also a Senior Lecturer in Visual Communication, specialising in digital media, at Beckmans.
Contributors and publication date
Maria Ben Saad 201023 (introduction)
Adam Geczy & Vicki Karaminas 201027
Ada Swärd 201030
Ann-Sofie Back & Göran Sundberg 201103
Matilda Ivarsson 201106
Andreas Nobel 201110
Alexander Krantz 201113
Mathilda Tham 201117
Emil Balesic 201120
Peter Jakobsson 201124
Alecsander Rothschild 201127
Marco Pecorari 201201
Josef Forselius 201204
Caroline Evans & Susanna Strömquist 201208
Artistic Research at Beckmans
In 2017, Beckmans College of Design launched an initiative in artistic research. Four research projects have since been completed, each connected to one of our subject areas: product design, fashion and visual communication. The projects will be presented in a range of formats throughout 2020, while new research projects are initiated.