The focus of the fashion industry may still be on young and beautiful models and Photoshopped images, but, in the last few years, the media have shown interest in advanced styles to hint at the fact that a person can be mature but have a young mind. Some institutions are actually pushing things even further with dedicated projects. The Museum aan het Vrijthof in Maastricht, the Dutch Dance Festival and Fashionclash recently worked together on a special project - (OLD) Fashion (ed) - addressing the issues of older people.
Four talented young choreographers – Dunja Jocic, Dario Tortorelli, Andrea Leine and Ronald Wintjes – created unique dance performances for amateur 65+ dancers, with costumes created by young fashion designers – Romy van Eijk, Anke Huyben, Linda Friesen and Sabine Staartjes.
The designers were helped in some cases by traditional artisans – Ben van Berlo, Leo Hoegen and Ingrid Reinhoud – who employed special techniques and materials, including papermaking, metal shaping and wheat weaving.
Choreographer Ronald Wintjens and designer Sabine Staartjes chose instead for their performance "Stroop" (Syrup), a rather unlikely partner, the Canisius syrup making company. While Staartjes has employed different techniques for her collections so far, this was the first time she went for such an unusual material.
In "Stroop", a 12 minute performace featuring Charlotte Rutten, Marie-José Otto and Tineke Zegers-Sinten, syrup played a key role, being considered as a metaphor for human life and its sticky and messy moments.
The results of the (OLD) Fashion (ed) project – combining dance, fashion and crafts – were showcased during the Dutch Dance Days Festival in October, but the designs can still be admired at a special exhibition at the Museum aan het Vrijthof in Maastricht (until 16th November 2014).
You've been in a rather "sticky" situation recently – can you tell us more about getting involved in this project for the Dutch Dance Festival?
Sabine Staartjes: In the past I took part in Fashionclash, an international and interdisciplinary platform for new generation designers. Fashionclash organized the (OLD) Fashion (ed) project, and I was asked if I wanted to join it too. Of course I accepted, as I felt I definitely wanted to be part of this project because the combination of various disciplines seemed very inspiring to me. For this project fashion designers were matched with choreographers to create a dance performance with outfits inspired by an old craftsmanship. Ronald and I chose syrup as our craft material and I must admit I'm still so grateful to everyone for this new and amazing opportunity!
Was this the first time you worked with a performance/dance company and which were the main challenges of this project?
Sabine Staartjes: Yes and no. It was the first time I worked with a choreographer and designed outfits for 65+ models. But I do have experience in designing outfits for different artists, which also has to do with performing. The difference between designing outfits for artists and being one of the designers for the (OLD) Fashion (ed) project is that, this time, I really contributed to the performance. This was the first time I gave my input to the choreography itself and that was really challenging. Another major challenge was working with a professional from a completely different discipline. We both have our ideas and ways of working and we had to combine them. For example, the choreographer took the syrup as a guide for the performance, while I'm used to come up with a concept first. It wasn't always easy, but if you respect each other, you'll make things work!
What was it like working with choreographer Ronald Wintjens and with mature non professional dancers? Did you find this process inspiring for its connections with body/body movements?
Sabine Staartjes: You really need to be at the same level with your partner when it comes to ideas. Good teamwork was a must during this project, because both disciplines had to work together. I really wanted the women to feel comfortable and beautiful in the clothes I made for them. During the dance rehearsals, I realised that working with monumental forms and shapes doesn't go well with a performance. So I had to kill my darlings and find a way to create proper outfits. I came closer and closer to the final design by letting the models wear the outfits while dancing and constantly making adjustments. During this process, Ronald and I decided that we wanted to show nude, but in a responsible way, considering the age of the women. I hear you thinking: 'why the nude?', well to show the old, but beautiful body. We genuinely wanted to highlight this point. So to answer to your question, yes, it was a very inspiring process, because I had to deal with so many elements!
How would you define syrup, a metaphor for life?
Sabine Staartjes: At first sight, you may find the syrup dark, dirty and sticky. But, if you get into it, literally, you'll find out that it's so much more than that. It's very sweet and has a beautiful golden glow, so you could argue it has opposite and contradictory characteristics. The same thing may be said about mature women: some people may label them as old, but, when you get to know them, you discover they are beautiful and you can learn a lot from them. So, remember, never judge a book by its cover!
The syrup stains inspired you white dresses, but also bolero jackets, can you
tell us more behind the process of making of them?
Sabine Staartjes: A harness – intended as a harness for life – inspired the jackets. The jackets are partly made from jute, since apples are sieved in jute bags during the syrup process. The colours of the jackets reference the colours of the apples. The syrup is paved, so, when the models are wearing these designs while dancing, the syrup crackles. This crackle refers to the skin of a mature woman. Crackles hint at something old and ugly, but I find them really beautiful. During the performance, the models took off their jackets. Underneath those jackets there were white dresses. So, symbolically speaking, the women were white maidens bathing in black syrup. The dresses are made from smooth, white jersey and feature pleats from the waist to the bottom of the dress. Through this I wanted to display the slimy, falling syrup. The dresses of the young dancers are made from the same white jersey. The print on the dresses is made from syrup, which I've mirrored by folding the fabric in the middle. This is a technique Ronald and I discovered while working on the performance.
Are the designs that resulted from this performance on display in any museum at the moment?
Sabine Staartjes: The designs were featured in our show that took place during the Dutch Dance Festival and they are now on display at the Museum aan het Vrijthof in Maastricht until 16th November 2014. You have a couple of weeks left, so you'd better go soon if you want to see them!
Image credits for this post
All images Courtesy/Copyright Sabine Staartjes
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