DZHUS conceptual wear brand presents a special eco project, “Unpacking”, that has just been short-listed for the Fashion Film Festival Kyiv (Ukraine). Created by a group of eco-oriented multi-disciplinary talents, the fashion story and the short film highlight the problem of overconsumption and waste accumulation through the allegoric ‘Ecopack’ collection by DZHUS. www.irinadzhus.com / @dzhus.conceptual.wear. Photography by Alexey Ponomarev @pnmrvalexey
The avant-garde brand has interpreted recognisable types of packaging in garments design to draw attention to the importance of recycling. Inspired by the visual and structural peculiarities of boxes, packets and wraps of all kinds, DZHUS transformer clothing can also be modified into bags, to encourage consumers to choose reusable containers. With its multi-purpose and ethically manufactured pieces, DZHUS suggests a revolutionary method to minimise customers’ shopping and diversify their wardrobe at the same time.
The “Unpacking” photo series and video take us to heavily contaminated areas around designer Irina Dzhus’ native city, Kyiv, showing that an ‘ecological disaster’ is not something to do with a grotesque apocalypse perspective, but with our current reality.
To enhance the surreal impression of these depressing places, DZHUS populates the wastelands with ghostly heroines rising from the ubiquitous trash, be it a dump, a polluted forest, or a single abandoned lunchbox. These mutating existences incessantly change their shape and the whole environment. Demonstrating diverse ways to utilise each object and contraposing the consumerist treatment to the conscious approach to packaging, DZHUS emphasises the choice between the irrevocable consequences for humankind and a ‘happy ending’ for the Anthropocene chapter.
Short film idea: Irina Dzhus / DZHUS, Jorj Jorburj, Igor Darovskiy / Whodidzis?
Directors: Jorj Jorburj, Igor Darovskiy / Whodidzis?
Art Director & Stylist: Irina Dzhus
Producer: Anatolii Elgert
Music: Tyler Legat www.instagram.com/tylerlegat
Cameraman, edit: Jorj Jorburj / Whodidzis?
Makeup & Hair Artists: Marina Reznick, Alex Chernyavskaya
Models: Anita Stemkovskaya / FP, Valentina Plyushch / Direct, Kate Portman / Kmodels, Svetlana Opanasiuk / Model Scouting Bureau, Tatiana Savchenko / Mimodels
Styling Assistants: Yulia Hrybinyk-Kotliarenko, Daryna Trukhachova
Colour grading: Volodymyr Morozov
Logistic support: Olexandr Debych
Ethical footwear provided by House Martin
Tech support: Vlad Rudnik
