Earlier in the week, I wrote about a hat. My story about a very simple object was full of thoughts, emotions, memory, history, and desire. It went beyond the everyday, functional object that it actually is and became much more. While researching and exploring the impact that my deep dive into social media, technology, and a life increasingly lived in a digital world had on my ability to be creative and my identity, I discovered Sherry Turkle. One of her books Evocative Objects caught my eye. While reading, I found one of those sentences that when you read it, it blows up your brain. She suggests that designers of “technology things or objects”, like a cellphone, see them exclusively as tools. However, the people who use them see them as carriers of meaning, even as extensions of themselves. Wow. No wonder Instagram made me feel anxious.
Turkle is an endowed chair at MIT and her area of research is the social study of science and technology. She’s since gone on to write Reclaiming Conversation where she links face-to-face conversations with the development of empathy. She also has a Ted talk called Connected But Alone that’s worth a listen. Of course, these are all written pre-COVID-19 where we’ve had to struggle, sometimes successfully I think with being connected in ways that make us NOT feel alone. I’m hopeful that the more thoughtful strategies we’ve developed to remain connected, to work, to support our essential workers and make them more visible will be carried with us into a more reflective post-COVID-19 world. I’m an optimist what can I say.
Back to the evocative objects. We’ve talked a great deal here about how garments can stimulate emotion and memories. Turkle talks about objects in another way, “things-we-use-to-think with”.
That resonates for me as both my thoughts and subsequent sharing are most often stimulated by a photo of a garment or accessory I am wearing. Today I am thinking again as the power of fashion to make change. So I pose the question for discussion today:
What if fashion designers designed clothes that were objects that became a “thing-we-use-to-think-with”?
Could they design an “evocative object” that would help us think about a sustainable and just practice?
As always stay safe and well my friends.
I am intrigued by your thought of:
What if fashion designers designed clothes that were objects that became a “thing-we-use-to-think-with”?
Could you please give an example of this so I can understand better what you are meaning?
I really enjoy your writing and your blog is so inspiring to me!
As a researcher who has used what is termed ‘object inquiry’ to make sense of some of my own creative practice, can I recommend the work of Claudia Mitchell and Kate Pahl, among others. They might make interesting reading!
I grew up wearing hand-me-down clothes. And when I grew taller, and the skirts became shorter, my mother added borders to the hems to make them longer and then put a pocket of the same fabric someplace on the garment. Passing clothes on was the way to do things. I loved the way she changed the garments’ appearance with the border. Sometimes she added embroidery or rickrack to the pockets. In a flash, I had a new dress!
I now live with a comfortable chair crafted from former aluminum street signs, a bookshelf made from about-to-be pitched books, and furniture discards accumulated from curbside, thrift stores and neighbors who were moving. We live together harmoniously. I find joy in reinventing and reusing. Serendipity, imagination, and sometimes — friends with more know how and tools required.
Items of clothing, jewelry and other accessories become objects of the meanings we assign to them. Perhaps the memory of purchasing or receiving an object becomes woven into the meaning. I shop with friends and we have fun picking things out and then when I wear the object, I remember the fun of purchasing it.
Or as memory. I lost two amazing women this year — both in their mid-to late 90s — who were very dear to me. I keep them close by wearing their jewelry. The pieces are nice in themselves but the meaning is in the memory and enjoyment of the sounds the jewelry makes clinking on a chain around my neck. I think my friend enjoyed these items in the same way, a little tinkling noise when she moved, bell like and silvery. It is a joyful feeling.
I titled one of the chapters in my book Staying Power “Evocative Objects” after Sherry Turkle’s work. It discusses the energy value of things. Another good source is Thomas More’s “Care of the Soul”. Both bring out the important message that things matter. Could designers make things with that in mind? I don’t think so because the meaning of objects and their energy value are determined by you. The objects don’t even have to have a function or be aesthetically pleasing. In the book Taking Things Seriously, 75 objects are talked about by their owners and some of them are quite unusual including a collection of cupcakes!
The thoughts of evocative objects as related to fashion makes me wonder if a single garment could be intuitive to our mood or emotion and change its color accordingly. This would surely change our relationship with beloved garment(s).
Did you mean “poser” or “power” here? “ Today I am thinking again as the poser of fashion to make change.” You are one of my favorite posers of fashion.
I believe it has always existed, we just couldn’t see it for all the fashion clutter out there. I think there are several factors that contribute to this—the passion of the maker, the quality of the material, the functionality of the fit, the versatility of the piece, the details. Pieces with these qualities tend to stand out, “speak to you”, and I see a long and special connection starting to form. Those are the pieces you just hate to see worn out, or damaged. However, with the idea of visible mending/repairs popping up all over the place, we can keep them going, make them even more special, discover the satisfaction of repairing something, letting the piece tell our story. I believe the designer can encourage this through the design, but we, as users, have to continue the process for this connection to happen.
Things, clothing and accessories are a connection to the human factor that elevates it. I believe this is why we hold onto because of the feelings and energy it evokes.
Love your work!
Thinking back to better, thoughtful clothing purchases… A unique piece that filled my soul, made my heart race faster and that remains in my closet today waiting to be worn (boiled wool in a greyed/smoky pea-green coat w/self fabric hand turned/stitched toggle “buttons”). I made a decision several years to only purchase items that stirred my soul, and fit. At 6″3″, and loving every inch of my height, I am making sure proportion, length and fabrics are key.
Gone are my days of “fast” fashion, throw away items and make-due. As to my nose-to-the phone-screen, that was never me. My eyes are up, engaged with the world around me and looking to others.
I was thinking along similar lines, Paula. In a comment to an earlier post, I mentioned having a closet of full of memories, “My Mysterious Wardrobe.” After putting that in writing, I decided to be more purposeful in my purchases from now on. At the opposite end of the fit scale, my short-waisted, 5′ frame is also a challenge to fit. But I’m going to focus on fewer things that are more beautiful, better made, more creatively designed, more purposeful. And I hope to purchase them while traveling so the mystery of my wardrobe increases.
For me, clothing has always been an instigator of, a facilitator and a reason for thinking. The relationship between clothing, my sense of self and how I choose to present myself to the world are intimately connected. I use clothing as a means of thinking about who I am and what message about myself I want to project. This process is a matter-of-course, and not always intentional.
If a designer intends to create clothing that is, from his/her perspective sustainable and just in its production then that is what he/she will do. The caveat is that the successful execution of this sentiment is dependent on how well the designer’s notion of sustainable and just is shared, aligned with and adopted by the general public, that is, the buyers of his/her product.
In the absence of actual ownership, one could argue that there is no commitment or relationship to the “evocative object” and consequently, a failure of intent.
This gives new meaning to “ put on your thinking cap”. Hmmmmm….
Covid-19 made us all to be like dogs. We are told to stay away from strangers. We search the entire house for food. And we have no toilet paper.
Alternatively, what if consumers made their clothing choices, and wore their clothing as “things we use to think with”?
— Outwood —
Love…
I am a fiber artist who enjoys the slow process of processing and dyeing fiber, spinning it into art yarn, and weaving or crocheting my handspun into unique, evocative garments and accessories. Every piece has a story and reminds me of what was happening in my life during its creation. Special pieces that I buy can be equally evocative. Thank you for giving voice to these musings which I imagine many of your readers share.
Stories take many forms don’t they?
Turkle talks about how feeling OK with being alone helps us to connect. Time alone thinking has led me to personal insights that improve the quality of my connections.
Living alone as an older woman, I would love beautiful wearable robots that make me think about my health and engage me in exercising my brain, support healthy eating by interacting with me and my food, assist my doctor in getting me to comply with her advice. The right AI could get me to think in different ways; it could get me to live better.
Very clever! I need one of those too.
Good afternoon:
Being a visual artist I always wear the same clothes (regularly cleaned) when working on all concepts of my art.
I find that the clothes I have chosen over the years to work on my art have definitely helped me in developing my conceptual ideas.
So yes for clothes that should be designed to be worn and to make us think…..mine do!
Be safe and well please!!!!
Regards
John-David (JD)
I love that.
I have not come up with any answer to the discussion questions despite much evocative thinking.
I do have a “hunch” however and that is NO, the current fashion industry and products are not evocative and will have a very hard time ever becoming so due to its philosophy of sell, sell, sell, more, more, more.
With the recent super increase in home sewing (PPE clothing for now), I expect a return of bespoke fashions made by what used to be termed a “dressmaker” or ‘tailor”. Those collaborations will lend themselves to lots of brain work/pleasure.
Tbat is my hope, that the very special feeling of accomplishment of a bespoke piece is one that designers will want to feel again.
What a wonderful idea. I have certain pieces of clothing that truly reflect who I am. When I wear them I am more likely to think and act in sustainable ways, especially if they are beautifully made pieces of clothing or accessories. It inspires me to have less and only have what makes me feel this way.
What a wonderful idea. I have a few pieces of clothing that inspire me and reflect who I am. The more I wear them the less I need clothing that doesn’t do this. As time goes by my closet has less “stuff” and more meaningful pieces.
Thank for your website.I’m 65 years old and am tired of being expected to dress my age.. I’ve always had my own style no hot pants or go go boots
For me. I have a style that gives people a glimpse of who I am and where I stand and does not embarrass my son!
I am a design professor at Lasell University in Newton Ma. This is a novel and foreign concept for today’s young people. I would love to introduce this to them and hear more of your thoughts since you also have experience teaching at the college level. I also think you are an amazing role model and style icon!
Thanks so much.
“designers of “technology things or objects”, like a cellphone, see them exclusively as tools.” I had to pause when I read that. In Jan. I looked into a co-workers office to see the pics she was decorating with, all photos of switches and the buttons on robotic testing equipment. She explained that she had designed these “button arrays” and asked if I could appreciate the artistic touch she had so painstakingly applied to them. Maybe we all express our artistic side in some ways unknown to others.
Your writing has been a source of contemplation and enjoyment since I found you. Your followers express themselves eloquently and I usually agree with several comments and consequently don’t respond. Although I am way behind in my reading and realize you may not see this I decided to write anyway. This is in response to, “Objects for an Interior Life”
I believe there is a connection between creativity and essence that may fit in here. My belief is that when we create, putting our heart and soul into what we’re doing, we actually leave an essence that others can sense. Not to say that everyone will resonate with what you’ve done but some will. Over nearly fifty years of experience has shown me that the comments I receive after clients see their painting is usually the same as those feelings I had as I painted.
I came across a book, The Laws of Simplicity by John Maeda. He explains it better than I . . .
Aichaku (ahy-chaw-koo) is the Japanese term for the sense of attachment one can feel for an artifact. When written by its two kanji characters, you can see that the first character means “love” and the second one means “fit.” “Love-fit” describes a deeper kind of emotional attachment that a person can feel for an object. It is a kind of symbiotic love for an object that deserves affection not for what it does, but for what it is. Acknowledging the existence of aichaku in our built environment helps us to aspire to design artifacts that people will feel for, care for, and own for a lifetime.”
In this sense, creating what one loves can be a sustainable and just practice. Could mass-productions evolve into the same is another question.