Fashion has been framed as ‘the favourite child of capitalism’ [5]– particularly in a dominant discourse in the global West. Its industry has aligned itself with the economic system, obscuring and obliterating
other fashion systems and clothing cultures[6]. While fashion is a global, creative and connective force, in its industrialised form it is largely exploitative and imperialist. A deregulated global hyper fast Fashion system presents itself as the necessary other of deregulated hyper capitalism. Just as capitalism, it relies on exploitation and exclusion. Both are incompatible with racial, social, economic and climate justice.

While education has enabled these systems, it has also challenged them. The classroom can be the most radical space of possibility. To change a culture, you change its education. To change a system, you change its education. To change the Fashion system, you change how fashion is learnt and taught, perceived and practiced.

De-Fashioning Education takes the notion of de-fashion[7] as a provocation to reconsider how, what and why we are learning and teaching fashion. To de-fashion is "to dismantle the current Fashion system and replace it with a pluriverse of clothing systems that are fair, local, decolonial and profoundly respectful and nurturing"[8]. What does a de-fashioning of education look like, and what could it do?

De-Fashioning Education aims to provide a space of exchange and collaborative action to explore the relationships between fashion, education and degrowth, a planned green reduction[9]. We can draw on a wealth of unacknowledged ways of learning fashion, undervalued diverse cultures of learning and leading learning – that are all part of fashion education.

De-Fashioning Education is an open-access conference, a collaborative contemplative space to consider contradictions and develop shared action. It invites us to re-imagine how we can learn for interexistence and interbeing – fashion education for the pluriverse[10].

• principal language of conference is English
  
• all proposals will be reviewed in a double-blind process by a scientific committee. A selection of contributions will be published.
  
• For all contributions, please submit here until 15 March 2023
  
• abstract of 250 words with indication of format, title and five keywords
  
• collaborators’ information (name, job title, affiliation, contact details, 60-word bio blurb)

See details below

• Franziska Schreiber, Prof, “Fashion I Body I Digitality”, Berlin University of the Arts, The Digital Multilogues on Fashion EducationX Fashioning Education
  
  
• Renate Stauss, Prof Dr, Fashion Studies, Department of Communications, Media and Culture, The American University of Paris & Associate Lecturer at Berlin University of the Arts, The Digital Multilogues on Fashion EducationX Fashioning Education
  
  
• Valeska Schmidt-Thomsen, Prof, Fashion Design, Institute of Experimental Fashion & Textiles Design, Berlin University of the Arts, Fashioning Education

• share research & practice concerning didactic, pedagogic and epistemological questions around de-fashioning education

• explore and illustrate the diversity and complexity of the field and practices of learning & leading learning fashion  

• inspire collaborative research and action

• paper exchanges will be recorded

• locations: James Simons Gallery Auditorium and Berlin University of the Arts

• curate theme-based walks rooted in local practices and knowledges

• celebrate and showcase local fashion cultures, communities, histories, people and places: introduce the unknown, unusual, unofficial, undervalued, unrecognised – to a global audience

• walk locally, stream globally – enable cross-cultural connections

• make people experience local tastes, sounds and sensations

• walks will be scheduled for 24 consecutive hours across different time zones on the conference days (please suggest a convenient time for your location)

• local registration required & organized by respective curators/guides

• online participation unlimited and free

• livestreams organized by respective local curators/guides, links published in conference program

• walks will be recorded

• interactive small-scale workshops for up to 15 participants – mini-multilogues that enable all voices to sound

• provide an opportunity for fashion learners of different levels, institutions and specialisms to meet, exchange experience, and develop ideas together around de-fashioning education, and/or consequent pedagogic, didactic and epistemological challenges

• foster cross-disciplinary and trans-cultural reflection and collaboration through short inputs and different exploratory practices of making, debating, writing, performing, drawing, dancing, crafting etc.

• workshops will not be recorded

• locations: Haus Bastian – Centre for Cultural Education and Berlin University of the Arts
• share inspiring, innovative and instructive video tutorials dedicated to the rich plurality of fashion making

• de-hierarchize fashion learning for an audience of everyone

• share imitable and adaptable knowledges and skills around acts and techniques of de-fashioning – to inspire active making cultures, self-teaching and -empowerment

• celebrate the connective, creative potential of opensource co-learning and de-fashioning

• submission deadline 15 May 2023

• please submit link to online screener (e.g. You Tube/Vimeo), and video descriptor of 250 words with title, thematic and visual concept, wider relevance, and five keywords

• screenings will take place on both conference days on location and online for in-person or remote sessions

• foster an exchange on the best, the worst, the most radical, risky, transformative or humorous projects

• presented as part of a learning laboratory for collegial enrichment

• provide cross-cultural learning exchanges & inspire future collaborations

• presentations will not be recorded

• locations: Haus Bastian – Centre for Cultural Education and Berlin University of the Arts

How much does it cost to attend the De-Fashioning Education?

• Nothing. Come together! De-Fashioning Education is free & open-access – all welcome! Registration is required & opens on 15 June 2023.


How do I best travel to Berlin?

• Please walk, cycle or take the train to join De-Fashioning Education. We will make the conference as hybrid as possible, and invite you to join parts of the programme online.


Where will De-Fashioning Education take place?

•  Berlin University of the Arts, Haus Bastian – Centre for Cultural Education, James Simons Gallery Auditorium, et al. & online

How do I register?

• Details for registration: https://digitalmultilogue.fashioneducation.org/TDM23


I can’t attend the conference in person – how can I join?

•  We will make the conference as hybrid as possible, and invite you to join parts of the program online.


What will happen at De-Fashioning Education?

•  The critical thinking and making conference will take place 15-16 September 2023. It will feature:

provocations & podcasting, workshops & walks, papers & panels, student think tank & screenings, coffee & collaborative making, bar & books, discussions & disco. The preliminary program will be published 15 June 2023.

Where can I stay in Berlin?

• Here are some places to stay in walking distance to the locations.

Hotels list

How can I contribute to conference when I can’t attend in person?

•  We are inviting two hybrid formats: local-global fashion walks & learning to de-fashion films. See CFC for details. Please propose collaborative papers, workshops and presentations in person if possible – maybe with a partner who can be present. We will do our best to stream as much as possible of the conference and create specific hybrid interactions. The Digital Muliltogue on Fashion Education 2020, 2021, 2022 were fully online, as will 2024 be again. This year we are creating a shared physical space for critical thinking and making, we are trying to make it as hybrid as possible.