The people of Tyssoy, a small island close to Norway's West Coast, are very much a part of Siv Stoldal's sixth Menswear Collection.
Siv grew up on the remote Island of Tyssoy, population 20, and recently participated in an outside art exhibition held there, organised by local artists and financed by the Norwegian Government. On 6 April 2002, Siv visited all of the island's inhabitants and photographed each of them. She transfered the ph...read more
The people of Tyssoy, a small island close to Norway's West Coast, are very much a part of Siv Stoldal's sixth Menswear Collection.
Siv grew up on the remote Island of Tyssoy, population 20, and recently participated in an outside art exhibition held there, organised by local artists and financed by the Norwegian Government. On 6 April 2002, Siv visited all of the island's inhabitants and photographed each of them. She transfered the photographs of their features and clothing onto fabric and wrapped them around small models she had earlier prepared, producing an installation that captured and kept alive what each person was wearing on that sunny spring day. The models were positioned in a tree (left) where they remained for several months. Their mobile limbs allowed them to move in the wind, yet their attire remained unchanged throughout the changing seasons.
Siv's new collection, Trace, is also based on the photographs of the island's people that were used to make 6.4.2002. The process used whilst making the art piece was also important - transfering people onto cloth and wrapping them around a torso, then bringing the whole community together in one place - the possibilities that this offered excited Siv and inspired Trace.
Some of the garments in the collection are reconstructions of original clothing worn on the day, whilst others represent members of the community photographically. You can for instance wear Steinar's 'real' knitted wool jumper (based on the jumper pictured) knowing you have a full size photograph of Lin's face inside your hood. One jacket allows you to walk around with the body of Gjertrude's father wrapped around you, whilst your wooly hat and scarf come from Kyrre. You can have a small part of the whole community inside your wardrobe.
The people of Tyssoy are little concerned about contemporary fashion. Their clothing mainly provides a function - to protect from Norway's often extreme environment. Juxtaposing their functional, hardwearing clothing with cutting-edge fashion creates a interesting, awkward yet exciting creation.
The people of the island on that one particular day - their clothes, their expression and their mood - are now available around the world to be reanimated by whoever wants to wear them. Siv has once again employed her experience as a first-class tailor, and an MA from Central Saint Martin's, to bring you The Trace Collection.
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