Preview: Dutch Design Week 2015

Designers and curators sought to challenge assumptions about the material world, asking ‘what if…’ on a range of diverse topics including manufacturing, citizenship and communication.

Inspired by geopolitics, several designers examined national identities and immigration, while others, frustrated by the fashion industry’s repetitive production cycles, proposed alternative methods of apparel production. A number of designers focused on restoring agency to the individual, presenting themes of identity, consumption and communication.

Martijn van Strien’s Post-Couture Collective and Allison Crank’s Oculus Rift-powered The Reality Theatre: Shopping in the Ludic Century stood out from the festival crowd.