The question of craft: intersection of postmodernity, premodernity and postcoloniality

This paper was presented at the 7th International Committee of Design History and Studies in the Fashion and Crafts section:

Fashion seems to have a separate status compared to design and craft, yet it is unmistakably related to both these disciplines. Some fashion designers transform recycled materials and second-hand clothes into new items of clothing. This reinterpretation of haute couture correlates with the design processes in craft. What remains typical of haute couture is the labour-intensive craftsmanship and the production of unique items available only on a limited scale. In this sense, luxury does not relate to the use of precious materials, but is to be interpreted as the number of working hours that are invested into the production of a certain piece of clothing. In addition to the use of traditional techniques associated with craft, fashion sometimes has the potential to restore certain folk trends.

Has this ability of fashion to set trends triggered a revival of craft or vice versa? Has it rekindled the appreciation of craft and folklore?

The conferences of the International Committee of Design History and Design Studies (ICDHS) aim to assess the current state of affairs of design history and design studies. The seventh ICDHS conference, “Design and Craft: A History of Convergences and Divergences,” brings the relation between design and craft to the fore. This theme offers an excellent opportunity to gather new design historical and theoretical research from over the world in a focused discussion on regional specificities as well as the impact of global processes of industrialisation. If, until now, design history has been largely dominated by the Western narratives of industrialization, then moving the focus towards non-industrial design practice might bring non-Western scholars to the forefront. Moreover, previously marginalized design histories in industrialized countries can finally get a voice.