I listened to the talk by studio drift the other day. Video embedded here. Towards the end of their talk they asked the questions, "Who am I?" and "What do I truly want?. They made a radical announcement; "You can choose your own path!" They say that the sooner you know what you want, the sooner you can create your own path with intention and reach your goals. Is this just priviledged people talking or could it be true in our context? We all grew up in middle class families in Europe (except Karen who grew up in a middle class family in Taiwan). Our parents probably encouraged us to do whatever we want or at least accepted our choices. It is also true that we all face the same pressures and challanges. To name a view. Our sector is very competitive. Most jobs are hard to get and badly payed. Due to oversaturated markets opportunities aren't thrown our way to say the least. The phrase you can choose your own path seems to be crumbeling in this context. On the other hand we have all noticed that the more intentional we are in our effords the more we attract likeminded people and interesting jobs. So I'd like to do an excercise in the group. If you feel like it, please answer the below questions. I am curious how aware we are of ourselves and if we truly now what we want. We might just be going with the flow, or we may know exactely what we want and follow step 1,2,3. Feel free to add questions.

WHICH CHARACTER TRAITES (OF YOURS) DO FRIENDS/FAMILY/COLLEAGUES ADMIRE?
WHICH CHARACTER TRAITES (OF YOURS) DO FRIENDS/FAMILY/COLLEAGUES DISLIKE?
WHAT HAS BEEN PULLING/ INTERESTING YOU ALL YOUR LIFE?

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THE TEXTILE/GARMENT SECTOR?
NAME ONE EXPERIENCE DURING YOUR STUDIES AND/OR WORK THAT INFLUENCED OR CHANGED YOU?
WHAT HAS BEEN INTERESTING YOU LATELY IN OUR SECTOR THAT DIDN'T INTEREST YOU AS MUCH BEFORE?
WHAT DO YOU LOVE IN OUR SECTOR?
WHAT DO YOU HATE IN OUR SECTOR?
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE ACTIVITY AS DESIGNER/DEVELOPER?

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO EXPLORE IN YOUR DESIGN/DEVELOPMENT PRACTICE?
HOW DO YOU WANT TO STRUCTURE YOUR DESIGN/DEVELOPMENT PRACTICE?
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE WITH YOUR DESIGN/DEVELOPMENT PRACTICE?
HOW DO YOU WANT TO ENGAGE WITH THE DESIGN WORLD?
HOW DO YOU WANT TO ENGAGE WITH THE PRODUCTION/DEVELOPMENT WORLD?
HOW DO YOU WANT TO ENGAGE WITH YOUR AUDIANCE?
WHAT IS YOUR DEFINITION OF A PRODUCT?
IN WHICH CONTEXT DO YOU WANT TO OFFER YOUR PRODUCTS OR SERVICES?
HOW DO YOU WANT TO MAKE A LIVING?

SHORT-TERM GOALS?
LONG-TERM GOALS?

Margherita Replies

WHICH CHARACTER TRAITES (OF YOURS) DO FRIENDS/FAMILY/COLLEAGUES ADMIRE?

Concerning what friends and family may admire about me I'm not so sure. I think they may appreciate that I'm quite sensible and supportive (even if I may judge too much sometime), and I'm humorous/ funny (this can be noticed just by Italian speakers as I realized in other languages I can't express myself well enough to be funny).
I'm quite energetic, positive and pulling (most of the time).

For what concerns collogue, I believe believe they could appreciate the fact that I'm quite analytic and curious. Also that I have a good understanding of general "mechanism / processes" I'm quite comunicative and driving.



WHICH CHARACTER TRAITES (OF YOURS) DO FRIENDS/FAMILY/COLLEAGUES DISLIKE?

Family and Friends may dislike the fact that I'm imprecise, chaotic, often in the clouds. Sometimes unreliable ( in relation to small matters tough). I'm sometime polemic and I probably judging.
For what concerns work, when I started and I had to do many tasks I didn't like I think my colleagues must have thought that I was quite hasty and non accurate. This certainly apply to me when I'm involved in practical / manual tasks (you can ask Maggie). I get impatient and I have really poor results... very unprecise! I wonder if people find me too stubborn sometime. Collegues must also dislike that I'm quite chaotic in my way of working.

WHAT HAS BEEN PULLING/ INTERESTING YOU ALL YOUR LIFE?
Humans and all the topics that are related with their collective and personal and interpersonal behaviors: socioeconomics political organizational etc. matters (collective) psychological and interpersonal matters (personal and interpersonal). I like understanding changes evolution history philosophy progress....

I like textiles and I find this industry ( the textile and apparel value chain when not damaged by the fashion logics of the last 30 years) really fascinating. I believe that nowadays this industry (extremely non innovative) is potentially a very fertile and unexplored ground for innovation.
The industry has mainly been focused on Product and Marketing innovations while I believe that now the focus should be on others more radical and deeper matters such as methodological, processual organizational ones as well as on values and that Product Innovation will be a consequence.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THE TEXTILE/GARMENT SECTOR?

After graduating in Political science/ economy I decided that I didn't like any of the professions I could do (eg. academy or institutions)...
I like textiles and my family had a very ancient mill in Schio ( small industrial town 1 h from Padova)... I chose this sector a bit randomly as I felt it up my alley and I was curious.

NAME ONE EXPERIENCE DURING YOUR STUDIES AND/OR WORK THAT INFLUENCED OR CHANGED YOU?

The year I did in Biella and around the world to enquire all the textile value chain from raw material to retail. This was financed by some of the biggest apparel and textile luxury firms and it gave me a very clear idea of all the dynamics, issues and possibilities of the sector. Actually many other experiences influenced me.


WHAT HAS BEEN INTERESTING YOU LATELY IN OUR SECTOR THAT DIDN'T INTEREST YOU AS MUCH BEFORE?

1. The roles and Business models definition

a. How should we act as designers/ developers in this industry nowadays?

b. How these two profiles need to be discussed and redefined? If we stop considering the amount of products sold as the
industry purpose, if the saleability of an item is not the goal what should be our new purpose?
c. Which business model can economically survive?

2. Which are the processes and materials that need to be used to make this industry a zero impact one.



WHAT DO YOU LOVE IN OUR SECTOR?

Creativity, working in the labs with skilled technicians, sourcing materials


WHAT DO YOU HATE IN OUR SECTOR?
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE ACTIVITY AS DESIGNER/DEVELOPER?

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO EXPLORE IN YOUR DESIGN/DEVELOPMENT PRACTICE?
HOW DO YOU WANT TO STRUCTURE YOUR DESIGN/DEVELOPMENT PRACTICE?
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE WITH YOUR DESIGN/DEVELOPMENT PRACTICE?
HOW DO YOU WANT TO ENGAGE WITH THE DESIGN WORLD?
HOW DO YOU WANT TO ENGAGE WITH THE PRODUCTION/DEVELOPMENT WORLD?
HOW DO YOU WANT TO ENGAGE WITH YOUR AUDIANCE?
WHAT IS YOUR DEFINITION OF A PRODUCT?
IN WHICH CONTEXT DO YOU WANT TO OFFER YOUR PRODUCTS OR SERVICES?
HOW DO YOU WANT TO MAKE A LIVING?

SHORT-TERM GOALS?
LONG-TERM GOALS?

Vera Replies

WHICH CHARACTER TRAITES (OF YOURS) DO FRIENDS/FAMILY/COLLEAGUES ADMIRE?
- communicative
- positive
- very lightly enthousiastic
- open

WHICH CHARACTER TRAITES (OF YOURS) DO FRIENDS/FAMILY/COLLEAGUES DISLIKE?
- defenisve
- chaotic
- not good when it comes to keeping track on money, bookkeeping stuff etc...

WHAT HAS BEEN PULLING/ INTERESTING YOU ALL YOUR LIFE?
People. it were always people that introduced me to a certain topic that then started to interste me. Due to people i also moved, or started an education etc. (For ex. Exchange year Sweden --> a good friend of mine did an exchange year in Brasil, due to her i decided to do one myself. In Sweden i met Anneleen, she introduced me to fashion and fashion schools, due to her i visited the school in Arnhem and landed there. When i got a job at Christian i ended up in Antwerp, there i met Laure who introduced me to textiles. etc...)

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THE TEXTILE/GARMENT SECTOR?
Pure intuition. I loved clothes, i loved to play with colors, so i didnt really think about it of the why.

NAME ONE EXPERIENCE DURING YOUR STUDIES AND/OR WORK THAT INFLUENCED OR CHANGED YOU?
To study in Holland and being in a school where teachers motivate you to drink alcohol, smoke a joint and to go CRAZY and WILD and work BIG and EXPERIMENT really triggerd me and had for sure a big influence on me. It freed me from my narrow minded "Gymnasium-thinking" and the ideas i had about what it means to be a woman and what it means to dress up ,wear heels and make-up. SOunds a bit superfical, but there is this one example of an encounter i had with a teacher who said that i need to put make-up ,that i need to "take-care" of how i look. First i was shocked, kind of a bit stepped on my feet, but in a way it freed me from a lot of things.

WHAT HAS BEEN INTERESTING YOU LATELY IN OUR SECTOR THAT DIDN'T INTEREST YOU AS MUCH BEFORE?
The production process of textiles

WHAT DO YOU LOVE IN OUR SECTOR?
People who work in it, craftmanship

WHAT DO YOU HATE IN OUR SECTOR?
Overproduction and complexity in term of sustainability and circularity. 

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE ACTIVITY AS DESIGNER/DEVELOPER?
To work with people, to share ideas, to discuss, do actually also work with the hands.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO EXPLORE IN YOUR DESIGN/DEVELOPMENT PRACTICE?

HOW DO YOU WANT TO STRUCTURE YOUR DESIGN/DEVELOPMENT PRACTICE?

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE WITH YOUR DESIGN/DEVELOPMENT PRACTICE?

HOW DO YOU WANT TO ENGAGE WITH THE DESIGN WORLD?

HOW DO YOU WANT TO ENGAGE WITH THE PRODUCTION/DEVELOPMENT WORLD?

HOW DO YOU WANT TO ENGAGE WITH YOUR AUDIANCE?

WHAT IS YOUR DEFINITION OF A PRODUCT?

IN WHICH CONTEXT DO YOU WANT TO OFFER YOUR PRODUCTS OR SERVICES?

HOW DO YOU WANT TO MAKE A LIVING?
By teaching and connecting

SHORT-TERM GOALS?

LONG-TERM GOALS?

Maddalena's answers

WHICH CHARACTER TRAITES (OF YOURS) DO FRIENDS/FAMILY/COLLEAGUES ADMIRE?
- positive, warm
- open, flexible
- straight forward, honest
- idealistic
- self-reflective, analytical, always searching

WHICH CHARACTER TRAITES (OF YOURS) DO FRIENDS/FAMILY/COLLEAGUES DISLIKE?
- Family: naive, not reliable, annoying mood-swings
- Work: easily loose motivation if not into the task, time management and planning, multitasking,
cannot handle stress, always self-doubting -> not productive


WHAT HAS BEEN PULLING/ INTERESTING YOU ALL YOUR LIFE?
General: All things spiritual. What is God? Where do we come from? Where do we go after death? Is there a soul? What is beyond sense perception? How come I can watch myself think and act? What is the purpose of the human experience? How do I avoid suffering? How do I create joy in my life? How can I improve, learn and evolve?

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THE TEXTILE/GARMENT SECTOR?
It was a very random decision at 19 years old. Encouraged by my boyfriend at the time, who was a dancer to do sth creative. I liked clothes and how essential they are in everyday life, communication. They play a big part in how society is organised.

NAME ONE EXPERIENCE DURING YOUR STUDIES AND/OR WORK THAT INFLUENCED OR CHANGED YOU?
During my studies I was mainly in a room, stressed out, removed from regular society, under pressure. This traumatised me and I am still working on finding a nice balance. Then I worked for a crazy lady in London that wanted me to be her slave for no pay and no rewards whatsoever. These 2 experiences shaped me a lot. See next question for how.

WHAT HAS BEEN INTERESTING YOU LATELY IN OUR SECTOR THAT DIDN'T INTEREST YOU AS MUCH BEFORE?
My interest hasn't changed a lot but I feel like I am moving closer towards my goals by being surrounded by like-minded people. Ultimately I am interested in creating a work environment that myself and others actually enjoy, that is stimulating, inspiering -> to create shared value. To drive society forward with a small contribution.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE IN OUR SECTOR?
Getting dressed is a universal, basic need. Humans adorned themselves since the beginning of time. It is essential and feels grounded. So much history, culture, wisdom and innovation lies in this sector. It has driven culture forward. Now it is driving culture backward in many ways. Personally I love/hate the challenge of innovating a rotten system and finding more sustainable methods. I like visiting producers, working with people, draping.

WHAT DO YOU HATE IN OUR SECTOR?
Unhappy people creating unsustainable practices and thinking it is the only way.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE ACTIVITY AS DESIGNER/DEVELOPER?
Thinking about methodology and processes.
Exchanging ideas with likeminded people.
Visiting producers, developing things hands on.
Draping, connecting to the feeling in my stomach and just doing sth.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO EXPLORE IN YOUR DESIGN/DEVELOPMENT PRACTICE?
How can I create joy in my work.
How can I create value that inspires and drives people forward.
How can I exchange and collaborate in a positive way.
Do products have a soul? Why does a handmade product have a totally different energy than an industrial product?


HOW DO YOU WANT TO STRUCTURE YOUR DESIGN/DEVELOPMENT PRACTICE?
Autonomous, efficient, collaborative, slow, multiple branches (teaching, consultancy, research based developments)

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE WITH YOUR DESIGN/DEVELOPMENT PRACTICE?
Joy for others and myself.

HOW DO YOU WANT TO ENGAGE WITH THE DESIGN WORLD?
HOW DO YOU WANT TO ENGAGE WITH THE PRODUCTION/DEVELOPMENT WORLD?
I hope we can get rid of the divide and work in a fluent manner. I don't believe in these limited identities.

HOW DO YOU WANT TO ENGAGE WITH YOUR AUDIANCE?
I'd like to do seminars, workshops, events, anything educational or hands on with a group of people. Please never again a Pop-up shop with products for sale.

WHAT IS YOUR DEFINITION OF A PRODUCT?
I am still quite interested in garments. Wearable textile pieces. No idea what defines a product. i am not thinking about this.

IN WHICH CONTEXT DO YOU WANT TO OFFER YOUR PRODUCTS OR SERVICES?
I think it would be interesting to move away from selling products. Selling knowledge that results in a product, where the costumers can make it themselves. Or enabling the costumer to design their own product.

HOW DO YOU WANT TO MAKE A LIVING?
Teaching
Designing/developing for MA and others
Organising interactive group activities

SHORT-TERM GOALS?
I know I used this word a lot but finding joy in everyday life. Enjoying the work. Getting inspired and inspiering others.

LONG-TERM GOALS?
Fullfilling my godly duty on this planet. :-)