TruTh

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Inside Out

Eros and Agape Customized Cultural Chromosomes

The Labyrinth

Reflection

contributors

director Aki Choklat

photography Ruggero Lupo Mengoni

copy editor Roberta Panzanelli

art direction

Rentala Anushikha

Sybil Heinz-Becroft

Rafael Nespereira

contributing authors

Rentala Anushikha

Anusha Balasubramanian

Sayal Elias

Sybil Heinz-Becroft

Renee Jacobs

Claire Munoz

Rafael Nespereira

Marija Palaikyte

Kiki Redhead

Katharina Reinhold

Kitsi Sebati

Shiwali Singh

Gunjan Sud

Anisha Vuppala

Jade Younger

rick owens

“the worD truth has such a righteous anD iMPeratiVe tone, i rareLY feeL QuaLifieD to use it. on the other hanD the worD honesthas a More PersonaL anD VuLnerabLe QuaLitY that i know i’M More coMfortabLe with.”

rick owens

WELCOME TO THE SECONd EdITION Of THE POLIMOdA’S MASTER Of fASHION TRENd fORECASTING MAGAzINE.

THE MAGAzINE dISCuSSES TRENdS ANd WIdER ISSuES THAT ARE AffECTING CONSuMER BEHAVIOuR. WE ARE PRESENTING, PREdICTING ANd PROJECTING WHAT THE WORLd WILL BE IN THE uPCOMING YEARS BASEd ON OuR RESEARCH ANd OBSERVATIONS. THE TRuTH ISSuE fOCuSES ON ANd ANALYSES HOW INfORMATION WILL BE HANdLEd IN THE fuTuRE. fOR ExAMPLE, IN COPY ANdPASTE, THE OPENING STORY RESEARCHES HOW REALITY IS BECOMING MORE ANd MORE SEPARATEd fROM WHAT WE ACTuALLY PRESENTIN THE VIRTuAL WORLd. THE CHANGING ROLE ANd dEfINITION OfPRIVACY IS dISCuSSEd IN THE SECONd STORY Of THE MAGAzINE. THEINSIdE OuT STORY REfLECTS ON THE TRuE VALuE Of THINGS SuCH ASCRAfTSMANSHIP... HOW CONSuMERS ARE MORE AWARE ANd quESTIONINGAuTHENTICITY. WE LIVE IN A WORLd WHERE EVERYTHING NEEdS TO BEREdEfINEd, EVEN AGE-OLd CONCEPTS SuCH AS LOVE, AS dISCuSSEd IN EROS ANd AGAPE. ALONG THE THEME Of REfINING ANd quESTIONINGOLd CONCEPTS, CuSTOMIzEd CuLTuRAL CHROMOSOMES PRESENTS THE CuLTuRAL PROfILES Of THE fuTuRE ANd THE EVERCHANGING MuTATIONOf THE RACES. WE ARE ALSO COMPLETELY BOMBARdEd WITH INfORMATIONANd OPTIONS IN THE MAzE Of LIfE, PuTTING uS uNdER THE STRESS Of WHICH PATH TO TAKE. WITH THE INfORMATION AGE WE ARE VERY MuCH ASSISTEd BY ARTIfICIAL INTELLIGENCE, AS WELL AS COMMuNAL OPINIONS MAKING THESE OPTIONS EASIER...OR ARE THEY? THE MAGAzINE fINISHESOff WITH A STORY ON REfLECTION, A PREdICTION Of HOW MORE MIRRORSANd REfLECTIVE SuRfACES ARE APPEARING IN THE fASHION SYSTEM--ACONfIRMATION THAT THE fuTuRE MAY BE ALL ABOuT THE EGO. THE MAGAzINE ALSO fEATuRES quOTES SPECIfICALLY GIVEN TO THE TRuTHISSuE BY LEAdING OPINION LEAdERS ANd dESIGNERS INCLudINGRICK OWENS, HuSSEIN CHALAYAN. WALTER VAN BEIRENdONCK, BARBARA HuLANICKI ANd LI EdELKOORT, TO NAME A fEW. SO THE quESTION REMAINS fOR THE REAdER, WHAT dOES TRuTH MEAN TO YOu?

aki chokLat

by R

EN

TALA

AN

uS

HIK

HA

AN

d A

NIS

HA

Vu

PPA

LA

coPYY P a steeeDi t tsaVee

THE ROSE TINTEd GLASSES THROuGH WHICH PEOPLE LOOK AT REALITY ARE

BLINdfOLdS OR RATHER BLINdERS THAT CREATE A TuNNEL VISION: PEOPLE SEE

WHAT THEY WANT TO SEE. dIGITAL TECHNOLOGY HAS CONdITIONEd PEOPLE TO

HIGHLY PATINATEd ANd AESTHETICALLY PERfECT IMAGERY. WE CRAVE A BEAuTY

WHICH IS HIGHLY ARTIfICIAL ANd HAS NO CORRESPONdENCE IN THE NATuRAL

WORLd. dIGITAL TOOLS ALLOW PEOPLE TO CREATE VERSIONS Of THEMSELVES

THAT dO NOT NECESSARILY REfLECT THEIR TRuE IdENTITY. SOCIAL MEdIA, ONLINE

NETWORKS, CHAT ROOMS, ANd dIGITAL PHOTO ALBuMS ARE fILLEd WITH

IMAGES Of PEOPLE THAT ARE VIRTuALLY GROOMEd TO THE POINT Of BEARING

NO RESEMBLANCE TO THE ORIGINAL. THIS PHENOMENON IS SO PERVASIVE THAT

IT HAS CREATEd A SORT Of ExPECTATION Of dECEIT, AS THOuGH ALTERATIONS

WERE THE NORM uNTIL PROVEN OTHERWISE. IN THE CONTEMPORARY WORLd

REALITY IS OfTEN A MATTER Of PIxELATION ANd ITS VERY dEfINITION HAS BEEN

BLuRREd.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HuMAN BEINGS ANd THE TOOLS THEY HAVE CREATEd

ANd uSEd TO SIMPLIfY THEIR WORLd GROWS STRONGER, AS TIME PASSES.

PEOPLE HAVE BECOME SO ATTACHEd TO TECHNOLOGY, THAT THEIR GAdGETS

ARE NO LONGER PART Of THE OuTSIdE; TECHNOLOGY HAS BECOME INTRINSICAL

TO THEIR VERY BEING, AN ESSENTIAL PART Of THEIR ExISTENCE. IT IS dISTuRBING

TO THINK HOW OuR TECHNOLOGICAL TOOLS, WHILE INANIMATE, ARE CO-

INHABITING OuR LIVES. WE dEVELOPEd TECHNOLOGIES TO HELP uS IN OuR

dAILY TASKS ANd TO SIMPLIfY OuR LIVES: WE HAVE BECOME COMPLETELY

dEPENdENT ON THEM.

IT WOuLd SEEM THAT WE COuLd EMPLOY OuR fREE TIME ANd ENERGY ON

SELf-IMPROVEMENT, BE IT PHYSICAL OR PSYCHOLOGICAL. BuT WE dON’T. INSTEAd

PEOPLE HAVE STARTEd TO dIGITALLY ALTER THEIR APPEARANCE ANd THEIR

IdENTITY TO dECEIVE THE WORLd INTO BELIEVING WHAT IS SHOWN TO THEM. THIS

TYPE Of dECEPTION IS NOT NEW. HISTORY GIVES uS NuMEROuS ExAMPLES

Of PORTRAITS WHERE THE SITTERS ARE dEPICTEd IN AN uNREALISTICALLY

fLATTERING MANNER. TAKE fOR ExAMPLE TITIAN’S PORTRAIT Of ISABELLA

d’ESTE, WHERE SHE IS dEPICTEd AS A YOuNG BRIdE IN SPITE Of THE fACT THAT

SHE WAS SIxTY-TWO YEARS OLd WHEN THE PAINTING WAS ExECuTEd. OR…

Images can be altered repeated to the point where the representation becomes so removed from the original that it no longer bears any resemblance to it. When this happens both the image and the meaning behind it are not onlylost but re-interpreted altogether. A case in point is Andy Warhol’s famous Marilyn diptych (1962). Representational art was for centuriesthe only means to render what one saw;nowadays people are no longer representingor capturing reality; they are creating worldsthat do not exist.

We have a very partial and simplistic under-standing of the past: we possess a mental stock of images created through literature, the visual arts, and digital sources, yet the past remains mostly unknown. Our fascination with antiquity often results in the creation of myths and legends that are meant to fill the gaps. Will this happen to us in the future? Will we become a myth for generations to come? Will our virtual

world be taken for real in a thousand years? Conversely, as hard as it is to envision the past in spite of the tangible traces, how can we expect to understand what the future will be? As with history, whatever we imagine will never be the truth. Reality exists only in the present.The reality of our current generation is that we are conditioned by the image of perfection presented by the media. We strive to reach a level of physical beauty that exists only in the digital world; we alter our bodies with the help of the latest technologies until they approximate the type of flawlessness pandered by impossible social standards. But even if one attains this unnatural perfection is the result really perfect? This process applies to objects as well as people. Most of the things we buy are customized to imprint them with character, personalized and rendered unique. But if millions of people around the world alter their images and objects to make them inimitable, nothing is.

Virtual reality blurs the lines between the real and the imaginary. We are not far from a future when our lives will be experienced on our screens and screens will be all around us. Even nowadays reality is mostly based on what we see, and screening is believing. If you go missing in real life you may just be lost but if you are absent from the digital world you do not exist at all.

The world now appears as an open digital book, any information can be found with the click of a button. The real life insecurities have led people to seek refuge in the digital world, where inter-personal relations are limited to the screen. unfortunately, the potential for deception of our digital world increases our anxiety, while social networks raise the bar for the standards of perfection. We judge ourselves according to a model that does not exist in reality so that how we are is never good enough.

As children we enjoyed creating collages with scissors and glue: a simple act that required only our hands. We now use a combination of keys to perform a similar task digitally. In the world of graphic editing, reality can be manipulated to create or eliminate flaws, to the point that the resulting image is totally imaginary. Technology has truly changed the way we interact with the truth.

EdITING IS A TASK THAT REquIRES

ONLY A fEW KEY STROKES BuT

ITS IMPACT IS MASSIVE. THE fOuR

WORdS—COPY, PASTE, EdIT, SAVE—

WHEN COMBINEd TOGETHER ARE

AN EVERYdAY ROuTINE, A TASK WE

PERfORM WITHOuT EVEN THINKING

ABOuT ITS dECEIT. THIS VIRTuAL

REALM HAS BECOME OuR REALITY,

WE HAVE EMBRACEd A WORLd

Of TRICKERY.

Truth be told nothing is true anymore, we live the best versions of our digital li(v)es.

pretending that you

what truth is.”

“Truth means not

or anyone else knows

- Julie Christie

pretending that you

what truth is.”

“Truth means not

or anyone else knows

- Julie Christie

by S

YB

IL H

EIN

z-B

EC

RO

fT A

Nd

CLA

IRE

Mu

NO

z

privacy

IS IT POSSIBLE TO CONTROL ONE’S

PuBLIC IMAGE? CAN INdIVIduALS

fILTER OR CHANGE INfORMATION

IN ORdER TO SHAPE HOW THEY

ARE PERCEIVEd? IS THERE EVEN

A POSSIBILITY Of PRIVACY IN THE

fuTuRE? ANd IS THE LOSS

Of PRIVACY GOOd OR BAd?

PEOPLE STRIVE TO RETAIN PRIVACY BY

PROTECTING THEIR IdENTITIES fROM THE

PuBLIC EYE. HOWEVER, A CONTROLLEd

ANd SELECTIVE VISIBILITY CAN BE AN

OPPORTuNITY TO MAKE OuRSELVES INTO

WHOEVER WE WANT TO BE. IdENTITY

IS NO LONGER A PROJECTION Of THE SELf

BuT RATHER A fABRICATEd PERSONA.

PEOPLE MANIPuLATE THEIR PuBLIC

REPRESENTATIONS SO THAT THEY APPEAR

MYSTERIOuS ANd COMPLEx; AS A RESuLT,

THEY BECOME TRANSfIGuREd.

HuMANS ExPERIMENT WITH LEVELS Of

PRIVACY ANd CRAfT THEIR IdENTITY

ACCORdING TO HOW THEY WANT TO BE

SEEN. PRIVACY IS OuR PLAYGROuNd.

WE CHOOSE TO ExPOSE OR HIdE

INfORMATION, TO MOLd ANd SHAPE OuR

IMAGE TO CONfORM TO WHAT WE THINK

IS ExPECTEd. ONLY OuR MOST PERSONAL

TRuTHS REMAIN PRIVATE. THOSE WHO

dO NOT TAKE CONTROL Of THEIR PuBLIC

IMAGE ARE LEfT ExPOSEd ANd

VuLNERABLE.

NEW TECHNOLOGIES INCREASE PuBLIC

ExPOSuRE ANd fORCE uS TO AdAPT

TO AN EVER-GROWING ANONYMITY.

LOSING CONTROL Of OuR PERSONAL

INfORMATION IN AN INCREASINGLY

GLOBAL, dIGITAL AGE BLuRS THE

BOuNdARIES BETWEEN PRIVATE ANd

PuBLIC IN AN uNPRECEdENTEd WAY.

WE RISK BECOMING fEARLESS AS

ANONYMITY GIVES uS A fALSE SENSE

Of SECuRITY.

A TRANSITION fROM fEAR TO fEARLESS-

NESS STEMS fROM THE ExCITEMENT Of

RECEIVING ATTENTION, WHICH fEEdS

ON OuR ExHIBITIONIST SPIRIT ANd NEEd

fOR SOCIAL VALIdATION. THE ABILITY TO

REVEAL, CONCEAL, ANd MANIPuLATE IS

HOWEVER dECEPTIVE ANd POTENTIALLY

CHAOTIC; THE TENSION BETWEEN OuR

dESIRE fOR ATTENTION ANd fEAR Of

ExPOSuRE LEAdS TO SELf-dECEIT

ANd CONfuSION. WE MANIPuLATE OuR

PERSONAL INfORMATION, THOuGHTS,

fEELINGS, ANd BELIEfS uNTIL WE NO

LONGER dISTINGuISH OuR TRuE SELVES.

NEW SOCIAL STANdARdS dEMANd uS TO

SACRIfICE ASPECTS Of OuR PRIVACY

fOR AN EVER-INCREASING INVISIBILITY.

PRIVACY IS BECOMING THE NEW STATuS

SYMBOL: A LuxuRY, THE uLTIMATE

COMMOdITY. If LuxuRY IS A POINT Of

dISTINCTION, THAN ONE CAN CREATE

A SENSE Of MYSTERY ANd GRANdEuR

BY REMAINING HIddEN.

in a fuTure where visibiliTy is The accepTed norm, The allure of The famed “fifTeen minuTes of fame” will become a highly coveTed fifTeen minuTes of anonymiTy.

Aki Kaurismäki

“As everybody knows, truth is what is printed. So truth is a way of manipulation. So truth is a lie. My version is my lie.”

insideRemember when you were a child and you opened your watch or calculator or walkman (for those who can remember) just to see what was inside and how it worked? You wanted to touch the inner mechanism and figure out the function of every single piece to demystify the apparently autonomous object. You wanted to see the “ugly” inside the sleek plastic cover. This habit comes from a natural childhood curiosity and innermost urge to understand theworkings of the physical world. The autopsies of our beloved childhood toys – from technical devices to the polyester stuffing of our favorite teddy bear – revealed to us how the mysterious apparata worked.

by R

AfA

EL

NE

SP

ER

EIR

A A

Nd

KAT

HA

RIN

A R

EIN

HO

Ld

ouT

As we grow older, we refrain from disemboweling our computers or mobiles; we´ve learned to rely on the promises of the surface and judge value from outer appearances. We´ve lost our natural curiosity and are dazzled by design instead.

We live in a fancy world. That’s true. Makingaesthetically appealing objects has become the number one priority. design has conquered the world: without it, thousands of useless gadgets would never have been successful. Museum-quality objects are driving us to reject everything that is not sleek, with clear lines and appropriatecolors. It seems that we want to live in a flawless world, where everything has to pass through the test of design.

unfortunately, this trend is not due to an over-developed sense of good taste. People prefer beautifully designed objects mostly because they don’t want to face the truth. The truth is that the privateparts of these objects are the most complicated things in the world. uncovering the complexities behind the design can be overwhelming and stressful. It makes us feel powerless and stupid. design is make-up, a shell that hides inner parts, the real nature of the object.

But the shell often proves disappointing. How many times have we been blinded by an apparently flawless exterior only to be frustrated when we finally scratched its surface? Think of the expensive night cream that reveals itself more precious in packaging than content or the supposedly priceless shawl – amazing to the touch until the tag tells you it is made of pure polyester. Those discoveries make us prudent and skeptical about the real value behind the exterior appearance.

In affluent times this carries few consequences but the recent economic crisis triggered fundamental changes. Conspicuous consumption as we knew it is no longer sustainable. The inflated social value attached to designer fashion and electronic devices have left millions unemployed and our pockets and lives empty. Are we finally realizing that a crude reality is preferable to a polished lie? Is this the beginning of a new era?

Maybe after years of superficiality we will revert to our lost childhood curiosity and regain a truer sense of value. We are fed up by the deception of outer appearances, we finally feel tricked and used by the capitalist system. We need to look deeper into our value system, question our choices, and go beyond a sleek alluring exterior to the reality of function.We are still willing to spend money for true value, not for fakes and glitter. And this value has to be visible, tangible, even raw.

This is the reason why we have rediscovered dIY and handcrafting. We are realizing the value of crafts-manship and learning to appreciate anew manual skills such as sewing, carving, knitting… More to the point, we are again cherishing the beauty of natural materials in their rawest form. We are drawn again to unembellished truth, the raw and the primitive because it reconnects us with our natural environment.

At the same time, this revival of crafts and the appreciation of hand-made products is also a countertrend against the increasing complexity of today´s world. We know how to connect all our devices in a group orgy; we trust our computers to simplify our lives and to remind us to perform our daily tasks without knowing how they work. We are, in a sense, modern illiterates. What would humankind do in the future if no energy can be produced orviruses sabotage all technology? We would be a short step away from ground zero; would anybody know how to grow food withouta tutorial?

The same relationship between exterior and interior applies to human beings. Our skinis the sleek cover that shields our inner messiness with a soft outer appearance. We want to comprehend both, our inner working and our external surroundings in all their facets: the brutal, the raw, the mysterious,and the ugly.

questioning the sleek surface leads to a deeper search for values. But if we think about true values and not about store-bought appearances, can we rationalize spendingon a logo? After the crisis, some small businesses proposed that their customerspay just what they deem to be the real value of their service. Why not take thisas role model for brands after the recent crisis? Paying according to the perceived value of the product or service requires aclear strategy and transparency regarding the production process, materials, and provenance.

Honesty and sincerity are probably values that only a few companies are willing to embrace but similar strategies could be applied on a wide scale. for example, emphasizing exquisitecraftsmanship—a practice that Hermes has embraced for a long time—would address customers with honesty and transparency. Informing customers about manufacturing processes and product quality can lead to more informed choices. After all, informationis power.

The search for inner values and authenticity is not limited to the purchase of products and design. We seek to experience truth in other fields such as politics, economy, architecture, art, music, and even people. The challengewill be going beyond the dichotomy of inside and outside, reconcile contradictions and find new harmonies in our environment.

by Transcending The boundariesbeTween The visible and The invisible, we will look beyond The obvious and reconcile The harshness and beauTy of our realiTy wiThouT fear.

“SAVE TRuTH!

EMBRACE TRuTH!

fIGHT fOR TRuTH!”

.......

WALTER VAN BEIRENdONCK“BuT MOST Of ALL:

BE TRuTHfuL”

by M

AR

IJA

PALA

IKY

TE A

Nd

KIK

I RE

dH

EA

d

e r o SAgApe&

The fuTure is in The re-awakening of The soul, Transcendence inTo spiriTual enlighTenmenT, and achievemenT of perpeTual love wiThin all relaTionships. The laws of aTTracTion are growing beyond sexualiTy, emoTion, and physicaliTy To engage all senses aT once.

- daphne rose kingham, auThor, The fuTure of love.

Man + woMan / cLone / seriaL MonogaMY /Just the three of us / DoubLe Duo / Man + Man / woMan + woMan / cross genDer / Different worLDs / DecaDes aPart / sacreD circLe / Monk

“all These relaTionships poinT To The fuTure of love – vasT love, love beyond boundaries, love beyond convenTions and TradiTions,love wiThouT rules and fears, lovewiThouT preconcepTions and judgmenTs, love wiThouT ouTdaTed myThs – love which can acTually be experienced. and The people who are Treading The new fronTiers of love are showing all of us ThaT iT can be done, ThaT such love is The human fuTure, and ThaT in Time we will all parTake of iT.”

Man + woMan / cLone / seriaL MonogaMY /Just the three of us / DoubLe Duo / Man + Man / woMan + woMan / cross genDer / Different worLDs / DecaDes aPart / sacreD circLe / Monk

Endless love is not just an elite trend, but a universal movement. The concept of love is expanding to embrace forms that were unpredictable just a few years ago. for centuries, loving has been conditioned by regulations and structures that are now changing: marriage was seen as the only possible outcome of everlasting love. As this no longer holds true the meaning of marriage is now being refashioned, and a number of alternative relationships are coming to the forefront. Many of these have always existed,

quietly interwoven into the warp and weft of our social fabric, without gaining legitimate acknowledgement. We are opening up to love without many of the previous limitations, returning to our natural state of loving beings. Acceptance of any and all love relationships will restore us to the harmony of the universe. unconditional love is the only way to a future survival.

chemicalsoflove, pheromonesandbeaTingsignals.

Laws and regulations codifying love into socially acceptable formats are one of the characteristics of our modern era. People have lost their ability to envision forms of love that exceed the boundaries of legal standards and are blind to the possibility of seeking transcendence. Love,as we understand it now, can be the result of two distinct yet complimentary processes: a physical and an emotional one. On the physical level,

love produces chemical highs in the brain,and physiological effects on the body connectedto sexual attraction. On an emotional level, we seek connectivity, like-mindedness, and a sharing of fundamental beliefs. for love to be absolute we need a complete alignment of mind, body, senses, and spirit.

chemicalsoflove, pheromonesandbeaTingsignals.

Absolute love is, for us, uncharted territory; in order to experience love at all we must learn to accept its existence. By opening up to the possibility of soulful relationships we can reach the type of unconditional love that now appears a fantasy, a dream. This is the openness that will give us new foundations. The path to hope and happiness is not without pain and struggle; the spirit has to release the toxins that mind and body together have forced on true love. Love makes people happy, gives them hope, and allows them to believe in the impossible. It is energy, not a substance. It cannot be contained or placed in a box, but it can be felt, smelled, and tasted. It can be known: its presence isunmistakable, however elusive we may feel it is. In any relationship it is mystery, and not tangible form, which has the greatest power. Instead offocusing on chemical reactions people will begin noticing the ineffable, mysterious power that attracted them to one another. In the end, people will begin to understand that love, and our own survival, depend on our coming together. Together we can changethe circumstances of the world, eliminate poverty, stop violence, and end suffering.

Soulful relationships have distinct qualities: self-awareness, “aliveness,” honesty, generosity, empathy, forgiveness, thanksgiving, consecration, and joy. In order for change to occur, we must begin teaching the next generations. This will not be easy. Any major social change is challenging and upsetting; change can make people feel lost, overwhelmed, and angry. It takes persistence and determination to get over the hurdles of change and enjoy the reward. Love is the new frontier, the promise land.

all These relaTionships poinT To The fuTure of fashion – vasT fashion, fashion beyond boundaries, fashion beyond convenTions and TradiTions, fashion wiThouT rules and fears, fashion wiThouT preconcepTions and judgmenTs, fashion wiThouT ouTdaTed myThs – fashion which can acTually be experienced. and The people who are Treading The new fronTiers of fashion are showing all of us ThaT iT can be done, ThaT such fashion is The human fuTure, and ThaT in Time we will all parTake of iT.

“the truth chip is very rare to find in the copycat fashion industry”.

“the truth chip is very rare to find in the copycat fashion industry”.- BarBara Hulanicki

c u s T o mized culT r a l chromos o m e s

by S

AYA

L E

LIA

S A

Nd

Gu

NJA

N S

ud

Between East and West, North and South, there is no definite boundary any longer. Are we sure that black contrasts with white? Are we sure the opposite of male is female?

How do we define ourselves? Who are we?We are born in a country, travel to others, sometimes we stay, we go back, then leave again. We are returning to a state of nomadism that is different from our original one; social and geographical boundaries have shifted and blurred, cultural traits are no longer restricted to a particular civilization but spread throughout the globe. We have come a long way: from mono-culturalism through multi-culturalism to trans-culturalism.

We are modern nomads, constantly adapting to different cultures, always on a journey. As a result, we have become an amalgamation of identities that cannot be separated and picked apart, but only understood as a whole. We are becoming a new race – unirace.

This change is, however, not without consequences. Without the stability of belonging to a set community, we have become fragmented. Without a fixed cultural structure

our fragile identity has become more malleable: we are de-personified and re-personified, we lead double lives, we adapt through a double process of de-contextualization and re-contextualization.

The dNA of every culture is evolving, bringing a sense of improvisation and emotional freedom. The world is becoming more complex: a collage of juxtaposed extremes, an accumulation of urban by-products as numerous as they are colorful, violent, boisterous, and engaging.

This trend is not only physical but also psychological and requires a new mind-set; a way of thinking that can propel us into the future, combining high and low, north and south, east and west, the metaphorical and the concrete.

The drive toward global uniformity we are witnessing today is counteracted by phenomena like fragmentation and hybridity. The evolution of human identity is at a crossroad: individuals can “design” their identity, change whatever they like in infinite variations. Artists have been at the forefront of this trend pushing identity to extremes.

hussein chalayan

“Truth for me:

-is a complex web of honesty, rationality and acceptance.

-is our perception and not always the reality

-is not limited to our minds and bodies

-is past, present and future

-is nature, kindness and evil

-is innate but also learnt

-isculturespecific

-is not limited to the written word

-is trans-human

-is death as a part of life

-is living the moment and ageing every second

-isacceptingyourownsignificanceandinsignificance

-is golden in disaster prone countries where the imminence of death can make all experiences more precious.

-is eternally disputable.”

hussein chalayan

“Truth for me:

-is a complex web of honesty, rationality and acceptance.

-is our perception and not always the reality

-is not limited to our minds and bodies

-is past, present and future

-is nature, kindness and evil

-is innate but also learnt

-isculturespecific

-is not limited to the written word

-is trans-human

-is death as a part of life

-is living the moment and ageing every second

-isacceptingyourownsignificanceandinsignificance

-is golden in disaster prone countries where the imminence of death can make all experiences more precious.

-is eternally disputable.”

by A

Nu

SH

A B

ALA

Su

BR

AM

AN

IAN

, KIT

SI S

EB

ATI A

Nd

SH

IWA

LI S

ING

H

ThelAbyri

nTh

The conTemporary world has become a labyrinTh of possibiliTies where weall suffer from an overabundance of informaTion and sTimuli. each Turn we Take imposes choices among myriad possibiliTies; choices ThaT can propel us forward buT also deviaTe and obsTrucT The road Taken. a new Turn aT every corner, a new maze in every phase of our lives; on The one hand, infiniTe possibiliTies give us hope. on The oTher, Too many choices cause anxieTy. while iT is exciTing To conTemplaTe rosy scenarios around The nexT benT along The paTh, we need courage To overcome The uncerTainTyof an unknown desTinaTion. we musT embrace The freedom in excess.

“LA

VE

RIT

E S

E d

EfE

Nd

TRu

TH IS

TO

BE

dE

fEN

dE

d”

li e

del

Ko

or

T

refleCTionWhen I gaze in the mirror, I see a 3-dimensional reflection of someone who looks like me. I do not

associate the image with my whole self. I understand that it is a version of me that I cannot entirely

comprehend. I perceive fragments—a nose, a leg, a toenail and foot. Some of these I like, some I

ignore.

Likewise, I do not recognize myself in photographs. I am so accustomed to seeing myself in

reflection that I cannot make sense of my features when they appear as others see them. The

2-dimensionality of a photograph, the artificial lighting and the one-point perspective of the camera

widens the gap between my represented self and my physical persona. I need more to tell me how

I look. Observation in a mirror involves simultaneously losing oneself and finding oneself through

reflection; navigating through real and imaginary in search of the truth.

french psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan proposed several controversial theories pertaining to

early childhood development; the “mirror stage” is his best known and most influential. His study

describes the moment in which 6-18 month old children first see and understands their mirrored

reflections. Prior to this stage, children can only observe and understand fragmented information

about their bodies, they fail to assemble the pieces and conceptualize a whole being. Most important,

they fail to identify themselves as a separate entity from the outside world.

during the “mirror stage,” the external images of others, particularly our primary caregivers, and

ourselves unconsciously construct the ideal self that we will strive to attain throughout our lives.

This becomes the parameter against which we will measure and validate our existence. We are

unconsciously developing our personality based on an illusion.

When I gaze in the mirror, I see a 3-dimensional reflection of someone who looks like me. I do not

associate the image with my whole self. I understand that it is a version of me that I cannot entirely

comprehend. I perceive fragments—a nose, a leg, a toenail and foot. Some of these I like, some I

ignore.

Likewise, I do not recognize myself in photographs. I am so accustomed to seeing myself in

reflection that I cannot make sense of my features when they appear as others see them. The

2-dimensionality of a photograph, the artificial lighting and the one-point perspective of the camera

widens the gap between my represented self and my physical persona. I need more to tell me how

I look. Observation in a mirror involves simultaneously losing oneself and finding oneself through

reflection; navigating through real and imaginary in search of the truth.

french psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan proposed several controversial theories pertaining to

early childhood development; the “mirror stage” is his best known and most influential. His study

describes the moment in which 6-18 month old children first see and understands their mirrored

reflections. Prior to this stage, children can only observe and understand fragmented information

about their bodies, they fail to assemble the pieces and conceptualize a whole being. Most important,

they fail to identify themselves as a separate entity from the outside world.

during the “mirror stage,” the external images of others, particularly our primary caregivers, and

ourselves unconsciously construct the ideal self that we will strive to attain throughout our lives.

This becomes the parameter against which we will measure and validate our existence. We are

unconsciously developing our personality based on an illusion. refleCTion

refleCTion

by R

EN

EE

JA

CO

BS

AN

d J

Ad

E Y

Ou

NG

ER

When I gaze in the mirror, I see a 3-dimensional reflection of someone who looks like me. I do not

associate the image with my whole self. I understand that it is a version of me that I cannot entirely

comprehend. I perceive fragments—a nose, a leg, a toenail and foot. Some of these I like, some I

ignore.

Likewise, I do not recognize myself in photographs. I am so accustomed to seeing myself in

reflection that I cannot make sense of my features when they appear as others see them. The

2-dimensionality of a photograph, the artificial lighting and the one-point perspective of the camera

widens the gap between my represented self and my physical persona. I need more to tell me how

I look. Observation in a mirror involves simultaneously losing oneself and finding oneself through

reflection; navigating through real and imaginary in search of the truth.

french psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan proposed several controversial theories pertaining to

early childhood development; the “mirror stage” is his best known and most influential. His study

describes the moment in which 6-18 month old children first see and understands their mirrored

reflections. Prior to this stage, children can only observe and understand fragmented information

about their bodies, they fail to assemble the pieces and conceptualize a whole being. Most important,

they fail to identify themselves as a separate entity from the outside world.

during the “mirror stage,” the external images of others, particularly our primary caregivers, and

ourselves unconsciously construct the ideal self that we will strive to attain throughout our lives.

This becomes the parameter against which we will measure and validate our existence. We are

unconsciously developing our personality based on an illusion. refleCTion

Lacan also argues that in the “mirror stage,” we develop a significant, libidinal attachment to our

own ego. Since we cannot live up to the ideal self, we often feel disappointed, frustrated, and

angry. This perceived failure manifests in our social lives as insecurity, envy, even hostility. We need

external validation to compensate for our shortcomings, thus we often turn to consumption

and material acquisitions.

fashion is a mechanism used to approximate the ideal self. Our ideas about fashion are formed

very early in our lives: Luxury brands and styles symbolize who we want to become. for me, it was

Marni. I dreamed of it. I would be the ideal woman I wanted to be if only I could afford Marni. This

leads to an existential dilemma: I still cannot afford Marni and although my sense of self-worth has

not diminished, it also has not gotten stronger. does the fact that I cannot afford Marni alter my

physical self in any way? Not at all. But my ideal self still feels misunderstood and in some ways,

incomplete. When we look at fashion within the frame of psychoanalytic criticism, we can see that

it exploits the narcissism that was formed at a time when we were not yet capable of voicing or

understanding language. It is a most irrational impulse. This is why the logical, structural self

cannot make sense of narcissistic impulses. Hence the duality, the need for that

forty-seventh pair of black pumps.

Lacan also argues that in the “mirror stage,” we develop a significant, libidinal attachment to our

own ego. Since we cannot live up to the ideal self, we often feel disappointed, frustrated, and

angry. This perceived failure manifests in our social lives as insecurity, envy, even hostility. We need

external validation to compensate for our shortcomings, thus we often turn to consumption

and material acquisitions.

fashion is a mechanism used to approximate the ideal self. Our ideas about fashion are formed

very early in our lives: Luxury brands and styles symbolize who we want to become. for me, it was

Marni. I dreamed of it. I would be the ideal woman I wanted to be if only I could afford Marni. This

leads to an existential dilemma: I still cannot afford Marni and although my sense of self-worth has

not diminished, it also has not gotten stronger. does the fact that I cannot afford Marni alter my

physical self in any way? Not at all. But my ideal self still feels misunderstood and in some ways,

incomplete. When we look at fashion within the frame of psychoanalytic criticism, we can see that

it exploits the narcissism that was formed at a time when we were not yet capable of voicing or

understanding language. It is a most irrational impulse. This is why the logical, structural self

cannot make sense of narcissistic impulses. Hence the duality, the need for that

forty-seventh pair of black pumps.

Lacan also argues that in the “mirror stage,” we develop a significant, libidinal attachment to our

own ego. Since we cannot live up to the ideal self, we often feel disappointed, frustrated, and

angry. This perceived failure manifests in our social lives as insecurity, envy, even hostility. We need

external validation to compensate for our shortcomings, thus we often turn to consumption

and material acquisitions.

fashion is a mechanism used to approximate the ideal self. Our ideas about fashion are formed

very early in our lives: Luxury brands and styles symbolize who we want to become. for me, it was

Marni. I dreamed of it. I would be the ideal woman I wanted to be if only I could afford Marni. This

leads to an existential dilemma: I still cannot afford Marni and although my sense of self-worth has

not diminished, it also has not gotten stronger. does the fact that I cannot afford Marni alter my

physical self in any way? Not at all. But my ideal self still feels misunderstood and in some ways,

incomplete. When we look at fashion within the frame of psychoanalytic criticism, we can see that

it exploits the narcissism that was formed at a time when we were not yet capable of voicing or

understanding language. It is a most irrational impulse. This is why the logical, structural self

cannot make sense of narcissistic impulses. Hence the duality, the need for that

forty-seventh pair of black pumps.

“truth is a box of many layers… whatever i do in life, i am in constant searchfor the truth; in myself and at the same time,in others. all layers have to be balanced.”linda loppa

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