Nada Koreish
UCRF is running a ‘Member of the Month’ feature on this blog, where a member, selected at random from the membership database, is sent five questions to give us all an overview of our members. Our eleventh participant is Nada Koreish.
– How would you sum up your research / practice?
That is a tough one! My research and practice is based heavily on my unique experience. I am intrinsically linked to my research and the generations of multicultural designers that have come before me. My focus is on our cultural identities of postcolonial peoples, and how that has been translated through the language of fashion. We the once colonised, we are the future of our design and art worlds. In an age where globalisation has blurred and distorted lines of communication, can we decolonize our fashion system and have an equal seat at the European fashion table? My key words would be : DECOLONIALITY, FASHION LANGUAGES, CULTURAL IDENTITY,
– How do you address fashion and sustainability in your work?
I am always embracing the human and cultural side of sustainability. How to create ,maintain and continue our legacies, craftsmanship, making processes in a globalised world? How can the woman who lives atop the Atlas Mountains be free to teach and create her organic woven fabric? How can the beaded bedouin gown, be sold as a haute couture garment? THIS is how I address the ideas of sustainability in my work. It’s by preserving, respecting and elevating the regions intricate work, whilst addressing any issues of waste that may occur.
– What are the conflicts you have encountered around fashion and sustainability in your work?
There are colonial barriers, old mindsets, and lack of drive to be part of a collective that wants to give back and uplift the community, people in our design region need money, like most of the world. And sometimes the bigger picture is always a bit difficult to explain or see, even for myself and my collective, I guess we are our own worst enemies! Sustainability is looked at predominantly from an environmental perspective, but there are so many facets to it. That ultimately all connect to the ultimate goal of preserving, sustain , being better!
– What do you consider the key sources and cases when it comes to fashion and sustainability?
I think slow factory’s work is incredible, and Aja Barber’s work. They both look at sustainability from every angle. Celine Semaan is a true visionary and I highly recommend the slow factory free seminars.
– Could you recommend some less known sources or cases you think should be more widely shared?
I do not know about ‘less known’ but I recommend, consumed by Aja Barber and the texts on the fashion and race database.
Thank you very much for your insights Nada!