Flatpack Couture (2020)
Inspired by the simplicity of flatpack furniture, this collection encourages diy skills and mindful consumption. Assemble your own garments or partner with a local tailor to reduce waste and boost local economies.
#fashion #strategicdesign #slowfashion #diyfashion #ootd
Flatpack Couture (2020) was inspired by flatpack furniture: just like furniture that arrives in pieces and needs assembling, each garment was designed to be constructed by the wearer. You could assemble it yourself, with a friend, or ask a local tailor for help — stimulating skill or when outsourcing supporting the local economy.
Each box contained high-quality fabric pieces already cut to pattern, along with an instruction guide, giving people the tools to engage directly with the making process.
This wasn’t just about assembly. Guiding the wearer through construction restored knowledge about clothing — how it’s made, how it can be repaired, altered, or personalised. The act of making built a stronger connection to the garment, while highlighting the value of skill, care, and attention in design.
Prints by: @neetje
#thefutureprospectslab #designprocess #designresearch #strategicdesign
slowfashio
Did you know that I’m one of the driving forces behind the Social Design Talent Award by the city council of @gemeente_eindhoven since 2022?
I was initially asked to design the 10-year anniversary exhibition.
That role evolved into redesigning the application system and shaping how nominees present their work to 100+ entrepreneurs during Dutch Design Week — in collaboration with the municipality, @ondernemendeindhoven.nl and @wtce_brainport .
Over the past years I’ve helped democratise the process, oversee the structure and coach talents from graduation project to public stage.
Designing systems. Not just visuals. #thefutureprospectslab #designprocess #designresearch #strategicdesign #designawards
Flatpack Couture also started during COVID-19. Many people were stuck at home and rediscovered DIY culture — sewing, knitting, and making things themselves. At the same time, fast fashion continued to create garments that were often low quality, hard to repair, and discarded quickly. (like we’ve seen in the RagRug case)
I asked: how can we reconnect people with the objects they wear? How can design encourage care, skill, and longevity, instead of fast consumption? Flatpack Couture was my answer: a garment delivered in pieces, allowing the wearer to assemble it themselves — creating connection, understanding, and ownership through making.
#thefutureprospectslab #designprocess #designresearch #strategicdesign
#slowfashion
Animal prints by @neetje
So in the last few videos I started giving you an insight into the process of the speculative collection The New Standard 2030, which I created back in 2020. I made a jump of 10 years in time, projecting the then current state of the world into a future-focused series of products.
In those videos I zoomed in on RagRug, showing you how it moved from idea to product — and how it took time before it was noticed and found its forever home. In a world where everything is on demand, that timeframe might sound like a hard pill to swallow, but I strongly believe that good things take time.
What makes some of these projects feel especially relevant now is seeing similar ideas resurface — often unchanged — yet received very differently depending on context, access, and resources.
Before I jump into Flatpack Couture, a project created in 2020 as part of The New Standard 2030, I’d like to pause and check in with you. How do you feel about getting these more in-depth insights into my work? —> Let me know by dropping a comment and don’t forget to like this reel. #thefutureprospectslab #designprocess #designresearch #strategicdesign #dutchdesign
Two years after I created RagRug, I was contacted by Tiffany Ring of @unioninteriors.ca , based in Canada. One of her Netherlands based clients bought RagRug and she asked me to install it as wall art in his home.
What started as a floor rug became an object of even greater value, a piece of art that can last a lifetime — proof that thoughtful use of materials can shift perceptions of worth.
The project also highlighted that waste isn’t just about materials; it’s about care, attention, and connection. By creating attachment to something discarded, design can help us rethink value and longevity. Even a simple neighbourhood experiment — like collecting textiles and transforming them into an object — show how small interventions can create ripple effects, shaping how people relate to objects and materials.
Before I initiated RagRug and The New Standard 2030, I already worked on multiple experiments with discarded materials in a short term project named ‘Resourceful Neighbourhood’. During Dutch Design Week 2020, I hosted 3 panels discussion with fellow designers and experts in fashion, materials, and systems thinking. You can find the full livestreams in my link in bio. Let me know in the comments what projects you are working on that experiment with discarded materials. #thefutureprospectslab #designprocess #designresearch #strategicdesign #crochet
I recently joined as a guest critic for the Interior Architecture master’s programme at ArtEZ University of the Arts, offering feedback from my perspective as a strategic designer. The course, Design in Times of Crises, was created and taught by @poorvigarag
Engaging with the students’ projects was rewarding, especially in supporting how they articulate their ideas, position their work, and translate complex research into clear narratives. Many thanks to Poorvi for the invitation, and to the students for their openness and engagement.
Over the past five years, I’ve worked across teaching and curriculum development within design education. I’ve coached social designers in storytelling and strategic positioning for juries, awards, and public platforms. And as founder of 1m2 Collective, I’ve also built infrastructures that enabled over a 100 designers to present their work, connect, and make the most of large-scale design events.
I’m open to guest critic and mentoring roles within design education and coaching roles for design events and/or platforms! Feel free to reach out @corporeal.artez@artezuniversityofthearts@artez.art.design.zwolle
Some behind-the-scenes pics of RagRug (2020). Countless hours of dedication, but totally worth it in the end 💪 What was the most time-consuming handmade project you've ever tackled? Share your story in the comments!
Once I understood the potential in these discarded bin bags with fabrics, the next step was action. I began collecting these bin bags, sorting the textiles by color, cutting them into strips, and sewing them into longer threads. I experimented with different crochet stitches to find one that would create a sturdy structure.
When I found the correct stitch and finalised the design I hand-crocheted the rug that is about 1.80 meters wide and 2.30 meters long.
The project wasn’t just about making a rug. It was about creating care and attachment through making. Each stitch required time, attention, and repetition, and through that, the materials regained value. #thefutureprospectslab #designprocess #designresearch #strategicdesign #crochet
