UFOdress®
Basic information
Project Title
Full project title
Category
Project Description
UFOdress® is a piece from the collection Unlimited Fashion Objects,
UFOdress® represents play in fashion. It originated in design experiment, seeking
greatest variability in wear. UFOdress® can be worn in more than 50
ways, as a dress, pants or skirt; it is a capsule wardrobe, suits all
occasions, has an educational aspect, prompts reflection on
unnecessary clothes shopping, allows one to find unique variations,
and stimulates creativity. Its production leaves
nearly no waste.
Project Region
EU Programme or fund
Description of the project
Summary
UFOdress® is a variable garment comprising more than 50 variations in a single piece,
including a dress, pants and skirt.UFOdress® is the central model in the Unlimited Fashion
Objects collection, inspired by the work of Slovak conceptual artist Július Koller. It represents
play in fashion and with fashion. The model resulted from designer experiment, a result of
the work of a budding fashion designer who launched her career well into her 50s.
UFOdress® originated in a search for greatest variability in wear, in keeping with minimalistic
principles characteristic for the fashion brand MARINÁ.UFOdress® is a sort of capsule
wardrobe that occupies no more than a single hanger. Potential users can comfortably
manage with one garment for numerous occasions, from ceremonial events to beach attire.
The model also involves an educational aspect, prompting reflection on the need to cut back on
clothes shopping to a bare minimum.
UFOdress® allows each wearer to find his or her own way of wearing, stimulates one’s
creativity and imagination. UFOdress® is a product of ‘slow fashion’,its production leaves
nearly no waste, as each garment is made individually and textile cuttings are worked into
the garment itself. UFOdress® has been presented at Fashion LIVE! in Bratislava and
MQ VFW 2020. The garment appeals to a wide audience irrespective of age,
sex and social background and is unisex. The acronym ‘UFO’ in particular, the ‘U’ in
UFOdress® can stand for any number of terms such as Unlimited, Universal, Unisex, Useful,
Unexpected. UFOdress® is made exclusively from natural materials, is supremely functional,
comfortable and pleasant to wear. The unique UFOdress® has been listed by the Slovak
Design Registry and is now a trademarked product. The design and functionality of this
model is continuously developed. In its message and concept, the garment is a piece of
clothing representing the minimalist, sustainable and ecological world of the future that we aspire to live in.
Key objectives for sustainability
The UFOdress® model originated in designer experiment seeking maximum variability, with
an aim to produce a universal functional garment that renders further clothes shopping
obsolete, that can be worn for a very long time and in diverse occasions. The primary
objectives were maximum use of material and leaving as little waste as possible. The result is
a garment that aspires to replace all kinds of clothing, varied as a dress, skirt or pants. The
model is a sort of capsule wardrobe occupying a single hanger. Being a sustainable piece of
fashion, UFOdress® fulfils educational, ethical and ecological requirements. It is a garment of
the sustainable world of the future.
Key objectives for aesthetics and quality
This dress was created as the central model in a fashion collection
inspired by the work of Slovak conceptual artist Július Koller. Koller’s art
was based on the principles of endless play with symbols, imagery, word
and situation. This collection was scheduled to be presented at the
largest fashion event in Slovakia, FashionLIVE!. The aim was to create a
wearable but nonetheless artistically valuable designer fashion collection
while abiding by the minimalist style of the fashion brand MARINÁ. This
sustainable garment was the result of designer experiment seeking
greatest variability in wear. Seeking to attain highest aesthetic quality
and through experience with fashion forms, we have achieved maximum
functionality and sustainability in the form of UFOdress®.
Key objectives for inclusion
UFOdress® is a garment that does not discriminate between users, it is meant for all age
groups and individuals with diverse social backgrounds. By virtue of its minimalist execution
and yet with a maximum of 50 variations, UFOdress® appeals to everyone. The garment is
also unisex, insofar as it can be worn as a pair of pants (in addition to variations of a dress
and skirt). The piece is also unisize, wearable and comfortable for all body types and does
not promote mainstream requirements on a ‘slender’ figure. It allows its wearer to become
involved in a project inspired by a vision of a sustainable world toward which we are
working. Additionally, the garment was created by a designer who began her career at 56,
offering inspiration to others who seek a different and fulfilling life path.
Results in relation to category
UFOdress® was created as the central model in a fashion collection inspired by the work of
Slovak conceptual artist Július Koller. The model resulted from a process of designer
experiment and work with references to Slovak conceptual art, with play and transformation
being among the chief characteristics. Above the aim to create a fashion product, we have
achieved a sustainable model that due to its unconventional variability fulfils the needs of
sustainable fashion. It is a sort of capsule wardrobe occupying one hanger, and purchasing
this product renders further clothes shopping unnecessary, given that it features more than
50 wear variations in the form of a dress, shirt or pants. UFOdress® is a product that fulfils
the requirements and objectives within the category it aspires for. In other words, in
addition to the aesthetic value of a fashion product, it is also an object representing a
sustainable lifestyle and is supremely functional and comfortable. It is a garment of the
future – one that the New European Bauhaus strives to build.
How Citizens benefit
UFOdress®, a product of the sustainable future, appeals to a broad audience who seek
minimalist, sustainable and variable fashion as well as lovers of local design, slow fashion, art
students and artists. It is a source of inspiration for other designer who create variable
sustainable products. By having turned my life around and beginning designer work, I appeal
to and inspire other people not to fear change and seek personal fulfilment and one’s
aspirations. During the creation of UFOdress® and its subsequent life in practice, I have come
into contact with further collaborators, who were interested in taking part in the post-
process, promotion and popularisation of this sustainable garment. This resulted in a video
about UFOdress® created with enthusiasts and volunteers as well as presentation of the
garment by wearers on social media and at live events. The feedback of participants in the
UFOdress® project allows me continuously to develop my design, as wearers test the
product in practice and provide their own reflections.
Innovative character
If I were to characterise the UFOdress® project, the first thing that occurs to me is that it is
innovative in all respects and that I find it completely novel. It is so variable that it may well
be considered a ‘wardrobe with one hanger’, and upon acquiring the garment the wearer
needs to do no further clothes shopping. This model combines a dress, skirt and pants, is
suitable for all occasions ranging from work, through leisure to free time in the city and
nature. It is considerate toward nature and its resources and is created based on an ethical
approach to fashion production. Each UFOdress® piece is created individually, allowing
waste to be reduced to a bare minimum. A further innovative aspect is that it stimulates the
potential wearer’s creativity and imagination, as he or she needs to find their own way to
wear it. More than once users have discovered ways of wearing that were unknown to the
author beforehand – UFOdress® is endless in its variations and possibilities of innovation. Its
users, wearers and promoters are part of a progressive club who strive to live a sustainable
lifestyle.
