ONLY BASIC

multimedia performance

in collaboration with Karl Joonas Alamaa and Andreas Kübar at Tallinn Fashion Week

2022

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ONLY BASIC, which questioned the rules of the conventional fashion show and fashion-making, established notions of how fashion should be shown, presented, and performed. A dress code was set for the opening show of the Tallinn Fashion Week - to wear gray sweats. ONLY BASIC was based on a mundane, everyday item - gray tracksuits, which were mainly used as a figurative of the fashion field. The idea of gray sweats became the basis of several fashion-related themes and topics, which resulted not only in wearable fashion but also in performative, textual, and sound elements. The impetus for the concept was given by an understanding that fashion as a medium can be viewed more broadly than the usual fashion week and runway format allows. Fashion and clothes are mundane on the one hand, after all, everyone wears clothes. Fashion can be a bunch of products presented in fifteen minutes, but on the other hand, clothes are extremely sensitive and social elements of society, and to really understand them one has to make a wider cross-section of modern everyday life.

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During the performance, the performers filmed the audience and their outfits with their phones. The roles changed, while the audience usually tries to capture the models and the garments, however during the ONLY BASIC show the models filmed the audience. Filming was live broadcasted and was shown on large LED screens in the show space. In addition to the three performers, there was a folk dance couple on stage. The woman wore a set from Muhu region, which has become a cliché of Estonian folk clothing appearing on souvenirs, candy boxes etc. The man wore a gray sweatsuit. It was a meeting point of new and old. Gray sweats which we used to symbolise Estonian fashion and a set of national costume dancing happily together.

 

The physical collection was replaced with writings about fashion and presented at the most commercial fashion event in Estonia.

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MEDIA COVERAGE

Müürileht, an interview: https://www.muurileht.ee/oled-sa-oma-riietelt-kusinud-kas-nad-sinuga-kaia-tahavad-intervjuu-lisette-sivardi-andreas-kubara-ja-karl-joonas-alamaaga/

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Müürileht, an article about the year 2022 in contemporary culture: https://www.muurileht.ee/aasta-nuudiskultuuris-2022/

 

IDA radio, podcast: https://idaidaida.net/et/jarelkuulamine/materialism-2022-05-12

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Portail: https://portail.ee/kes-voi-mis-on-moenadalal-debuteerinud-only-basic/

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