THE BOX ATELIER

RE;CODE

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從大林美術館的側門進入,沿著淅瀝沙沙的拍葉聲,夾雜著唧唧啾啾的蟲鳥聲,走到 Daelim Museum x RE;CODE的《Tong’s Atelier》場館前,踏著石春迎面而來 Box Atelier 的小屋,裡面裝置了簡單的車衣機和縫紉工具,為遊人辦理改造時尚之旅的登記。

2019年在我們策劃的Future Fashion Lab合作過後,便只能透過社交平台的窗口窺看著,大家的生活過得好嗎?

真心推動可持續時尚的路不易走,像摸石過河,自己努力之餘也一直關注同行者的進展,正在創作什麼激發改變的點子?看見這可愛的小屋,實在忍不住,也算找到藉口向朋友 —— RE;CODE的設計主管Sunzoo問好,打聽這有趣的項目。

這次是和首爾大林美術館的合作,在他們的《TONG’s VINTAGE: The Strange Tongui General Store展覽,一起探討可持續發展如何應對氣候變化的問題。展覽名稱《TONG’s VINTAGE》在韓語中直譯為《Tongui Vintage》,取自於「通義洞」,即美術館的地址。展覽空間變身為一個古物店,通過藝術家的雙手,讓舊物煥然一新,激發觀眾的好奇心。

展覽共由七個部分組成,每個部分展示一種材料,具體取決於自然界分解所需的時間。從最慢到最快、從玻璃開始到塑料、鐵、織物、木材、紙張和環保材料。RE;CODE必然是韓國甚至是世界上upcycling fashion的典範。

Entering Daelim Museum from the side entrance, I followed the sound of flapping leaves mingled with the chirping of birds and insects, until I came upon the “Tong’s Atelier” pavilion for Daelim Museum x RE;CODE. Continuing as I was, treading on pebbles, the little hut of Box Atelier came into view, with a basic sewing machine and tools for needlework inside to sign visitors up for a journey of fashion transformation.

Since collaborating with RE;CODE for the curation of the Future Fashion Lab in 2019, I have only been able to look upon their lives through the window of social media. Is everyone doing well?

Genuine initiatives to promote sustainable fashion never make easy paths, one almost has to feel his way through. Beyond my own endeavours, I am always interested to know how my peers are doing too. What kind of change-inducing ideas are they working on? Seeing this charming hut, I just could not hold myself. I have found an excuse to send my greetings to my friend – Park Sunzoo, Chief Designer of RE;CODE – and learn about this intriguing project.

In collaboration with Daelin Museum in Seoul, RE;CODE presents the exhibition “TONG’s VINTAGE: The Strange Tongui General Store”  to explore how sustainable development tackles issues pertaining to climate change. The name of the exhibition “TONG’s VINTAGE” literally translates as “Tongui Vintage” in Korean, as derived from “Tongui-dong”, that is, the museum’s location. The exhibition space becomes a vintage store. Through the hands of artists, old items manifest a new shine that spark visitors’ curiosity.

The exhibition consists of seven parts, each presenting one type of material, the actual presentation of which hinging upon the time needed for the material to decompose naturally. Starting from the slowest to the fastest, it begins with glass and progresses into plastic, metal, textile products, wood, paper and eco-friendly material. RE;CODE is for sure an exemplar of upcycling fashion in Korea and even in the world.

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「升級再造 —— 一個『升級』和『再造』的複合詞,與回收再造不同,它通過改變其用途(而不是保留原貌)來提升新的價值和可用性;這是一個比回收再造更進一步的概念,可以理解為『升級』再造產品的含義。」

這是他們為設計理念的演繹,也是我的模範,除了定期以集團旗下7個品牌的剩餘物料來重塑新的時尚系列,在他們位於諾都島(Nodeul Island)的主店更設立了第一個永久性的Box Atelier,透過Re;collection服務為客人度身改造,重新設計他們滿載快樂回憶的舊衣,賦予新的意義和價值。

“Up-cycling, a compound word of ‘Upgrade’ and ‘Recycling’, which differs from recycling in that it adds new value and usability by changing the way it is used rather than as it. It is a concept that goes a step further than recycling, and it can be understood as the meaning of “upgrading” recycled products.”

Such is how they expound on their design vision, a model for myself as well. Besides regularly taking leftover materials from the group’s 7 fashion brands to redevelop new fashion lines, they also set up the first permanent Box Atelier in their main atelier in Nodeul Island, offering bespoke service for its customers through their Re;collection service. They redesign the old clothes with happy memories, endowing them with new meanings and value.

今次的《Tong’s Atelier》合作企劃裡,他們在綠林中築起一間Box Atelier,邀請參加者携帶滿載回憶但不會再穿的舊T恤,由RE;CODE鐵粉/設計助手,亦即是Good News in the Morning主理人Seungheon OH駐場一個月,擔任顧問 ,引導他們親手製作,或是讓Seungheon代勞,以預設的3款重塑設計作藍本,改造自己的的舊衣。

所有從這小盒子出產的,都是獨一無二,「Only 1 piece was made」

For the collaboration on “Tong’s Atelier”, they constructed a Box Atelier in the woods, inviting participants to bring in old T-shirts with memories and which they no longer wear. The T-shirts underwent the treatment of Seungheon OH, who is a RE:CODE’s long-term fan/ Sunzoo’s design junior and also the founder of Good News in the Morning. He participated as the redesign artisan for a month as a consultant, to guide or help them remake. They used three default redesigns as blueprints to upcycle their old clothes.

“Only one piece was made” in this box atelier.

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除了Box Atelier 外,他們還利用公司製造汽車椅子的剩餘的布辦,在Re;tableDIY工作坊中教授製作時尚小錢包,友善地引導參加者們「從TONG’S ATELIER開始,或繼續一個可持續性的生活方式」。

Apart from Box Atelier, they also made use of leftover fabric samples from the company’s car seat manufacturing for Re;table DIY workshops on making fashionable coin case. They offer friendly guidance for participants to “start or continue a sustainable lifestyle with TONG’S ATELIER.”

記得2018年在RE;CODE首爾店的會面前,第一次和這位設計主管擦身而過的印象是「噢!大著肚子也穿得這麼時尚有型!」之後,我們只能隔空慰問,和在螢幕中看著小寶寶成長。

Sunzoo説:「許多品牌都表達了它們最推崇的環保方式,我在RE;CODE工作了9年,我對每年都生產新東西感到不舒服;儘管如此,我還是很開心,因為RE;CODE利用别人已生產的剩餘物資來製作最少碳足跡的產品。在我的生活中,舊的東西已比新的東西多,我3歲的女兒也從姐姐們那裡繼承下來,甚至穿著她媽媽(我^^)經過改造的衣服。我現在很快樂,因為我相信這樣看起來很自然、很酷,而且也可以為環境出一點力!」

I remember before our first meeting at the Seoul branch of RE;CODE in 2018, when I brushed shoulders with this chief designer for the first time, my immediate impression was, “Oh! How stylishly she dresses even while pregnant.” Thereafter, we were only able to greet each other virtually, and witness her little baby’s growth on a screen.

Sunzoo said, “Many brands have proposed environmental friendly methods they believe in. Having worked at RE:CODE for 9 years, I feel uncomfortable about producing new items every year; Despite that, I am still very happy, because RE;CODE uses materials leftover from others’ productions to make products with minimal carbon footprints. In my life, there are already more old things than new, even my three-year-old daughter takes things after her sisters, or even wears her mother’s altered clothes (me ^^). I am very happy now, because I believe it looks very natural, very cool, and it is an effort for the environment!”

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自疫情蔓延以來,有人說大家都被驚醒了,但我卻看到更多揮著環保和可持續性的旗幟繼續鼓吹消費,造成更多的即棄廢料就不在話下。在氣餒時,便看看這些小可愛,在心裡告訴他們:「我是為你們而堅持下去的。」

Since the outbreak of the pandemic, some say that we have all been startled awake, yet I see that many more are still encouraging consumption in the name of environmental conservation and sustainability, not to mention making more disposable wastes. Whenever I feel demotivated, I look at these little cuties, and in my heart I tell them, “I carry on for you.”

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