This textile collection was born out of a deep sense of frustration with a world where no product is needed, and every new object is one object to much. A world centered around a growth paradigm, accompanied by an economic system and society based around status, acquisition and fear. 

What to do if the best option is not to do anything? I started by exploring ways cope and found first answers within the realm of degrowth. To create a society that is free from a growth paradigm and is living in symbiosis with nature, drives like care, play and attachment need to be fostered. But how do we come to that point? How do we overcome internalized capitalism and embrace new drives? 

One of the ways is to break the alienation between consumer and product. We must go back to the very source - the material - and carefully navigate the entire production process. It‘s about embracing the idea of having and doing less, while gaining a profound understanding of what we own and how it came to be. My journey led me to delve into the process of linen production. I discovery my body as a tool of work. Experienced moments of silence, stepping back, doing less, appreciating, playing, and caring for the material as a tool to break the cycle of alienation.

During my further research into of linen, traditional dowries and degrowth practices, I discovered striking parallels. Traditional dowries, often crafted from linen, revolve around learning to care for material and are cherished for a lifetime. Drawing inspiration from this, my prototypes and crafting techniques are closely intertwined with the essence of traditional dowries.

The outcome is this collection which focuses on the different phases I went trough within the project. A dowry for a new generation—a meaningful legacy that reflects on the world and problems we face and gives perspective on how to overcome those. On the way I discovered countless ways to use linen as a local monomaterial and hope to reestablish its appreciation. But for me personally the biggest part of this project was the silence of physical textile work. The connection and reflection that come with an embodied experience of physical labor that underlies creations.