Last weekend fashion designer Berend Brus launched his new collection ’For Dear Life’ during The Clash House part of the FASHIONCLASH Festival. With his work, Berend strives to open up the stigmatized conversation about unpopular and sensitive topics in search of genuine connections while igniting social change around mental health. All photos by Marta Musial @martamusial_
The new collection ‘For Dear Life’ is about the dark corners of your consciousness that are hidden from the view of a mere onlooker. These intrusive thoughts are always present and return particularly during moments of mental health weakness. During the creative process, Berend dived deeper into this mental phenomena to translate habitual themes into his fashion designs: from the perseverance to start over, the bravery of choosing life over the paralysis of despondency, to the struggle of transforming the residual mental debris into something meaningful. With his third collection, Berend hopes to further alleviate the stigma around mental health and give those familiar with this struggle the recognition that it deserves, making them feel more understood and less lonely. Another goal is to show those who are not burdened by these issues what it feels like in a visceral and observable way, providing them with a unique window into the minds of many around them.
Circular Fashion Design
Apart from delving into the topic of mental health, this collection was created with circularity in mind. All of the ‘For Dear Life’ designs are made from up-cycled materials, giving the collection name a double meaning. Some of these materials were delivered by SWAPSHOP, a clothing swap project based in Rotterdam. Other textiles used in this collection are from clothes with deeply emotional undertones. They were worn or slept in by people during their darkest moments, bringing the collection full circle and exemplifying its powerful message.
Launch on The Clash House
The ‘For Dear Life’ was launched during The Clash House, an essential part of the FASHIONCLASH festival that focuses on performative experiences. For this event, fashion designers were challenged to actively experiment with forms of presentation. During this digital edition, the audience was guided through the internal journey moving from depression or similar moments of mental weakness to taking the first steps of feeling better again, culminating the experience in presenting the collection by the fashion designer himself. Watch the full performance on Berend Brus’ Instagram.
