Here and Now Fashion Festival

Det Finns Inget Dåligt Väder, Bara Dåliga Kläder, meaning there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes, is inspired by and explores the effects of the weather. The weather is something we have no control over yet are constantly controlled by. The collection is informed by factors such as increasing people’s desire to be outside in certain more undesirable weather conditions, such as rain, cold and heat, extreme weather conditions, improving the certain mood caused by densely cloudy conditions and other mood altering weather conditions, as well as clothes that can physically shift to adapt to temperature changes throughout the day. People’s daily lives are being affected by the drastically fluctuating temperatures that are a result of climate change. A human’s ideal air temperature, in which they feel the most comfortable and consume the least amount of energy, is 21 degrees Celsius (70 degrees Fahrenheit). The collection aims to create a more sustainable society by creating sustainable garments that will allow for people to more easily maintain this body temperature resulting in the body consuming less energy and, therefore, needing less energy. What we wear is the only physical layer between our body, and the weather and climate we coexist with. Through the combination of the construction of the clothing and the materiality I want to allow us to more easily interface with the weather, recontextualizing how we as a species interact with it.

Valentina Mikrut is a Swedish-born fashion designer. Raised in Stockholm, Italy Australia, her work is marked by a strong sense of time & place. A photographer from a young age, she studied Textile Design at Tillskärarakademin in Stockholm before completing her BFA in NYC and Paris. She has worked at high-end brands such as Gabriela Hearst, design studios, fashion magazines and alongside Sweden's leading stylist. Valentina focuses on the body’s subconscious capacity to change; how humans, adapt, resist, & metaphysically react to changes of state. She explores these themes through an intense devotion to research, which encompasses theory, functionality, & material exploration. Valuing process and perspective, Valentina’s work aims to create innovative, sustainable & empowering fashion.