Keeping it Local

Keeping it Local is a research project of the Fashion Research & Technology Lectorate at the Hogeschool van Amsterdam. This ‘living laboratory’ investigates co-creation, local production in an urban environment and sustainable consumer behaviour. We produce 3D-knitted jumpers inspired by traditional fishermen’s jumpers. Like their traditional predecessors, these jumpers tell the story of local communities: Amsterdam’s only commercial North Sea fisherman Hendrik Kramer and crew, Cultural Heritage students from the Reinwardt Academy, HBO-ICT students from the Hogeschool van Amsterdam and fashion students from the AMFI. With a mix of traditional and computer-generated patterns, the jumpers tell stories about life in Amsterdam and the future of fishing, the fashion industry, ICT and cultural heritage anno 2023. They are designed for and in collaboration with the aforementioned communities. Based at the Amstel Campus of the Hogeschool van Amsterdam, our production chain includes design, production and sales. We follow our consumers to find out how they ‘treat’ their jumper after the point of sale. Does being involved in the design and making process of a jumper, and owning a jumper made by and for you, lead to a closer emotional bond with your garment and subsequently to more sustainable clothing behaviour? By using an advanced 3D knitting technique, it is possible to produce locally and to order. This prevents overproduction and possible waste due to unsold jumpers. This is why there are only fitting models in the shop: consumers can walk in to see the jumpers up close, feel them, try them on and place an order. The jumper is then knitted especially for the wearer. Our production chain is not only fully run by the project – it is also ‘ultra local’. The distance between the point of design, the 3D-Knitlab where the jumpers are produced and the University Store in which they are sold is only 300 meters. This gives us the chance to experiment in a real-life environment and push the buttons at every stage of the chain to see where and how we can make this project even more sustainable.