I mucked about with all kinds of materials for my "button together clothes". I ordered lovely denims and bright whites from Organic Cotton in the United Kingdom. I bought gorgeous organic or in any case high quality yarn from various producers like Lana Grossa and ggh, from loops,
the wool shop around the corner from us in the Wörther Str. I became
obsessed with the long and rich tradition and history behind yarn names
like Schachenmayr, originally a German company which now belongs to Britain's Coats, and Lang Yarns, a Swiss manufacturer.
I began researching like mad and had lots of fun discovering a world I only knew on the surface. Once a journalist, always a journalist. The
Internet was my playground. I became a professional Googler. I
wikipedia-ed tirelessly. I read numerous blogs. I went through the
history and background of countless companies in the textile and clothes
manufacturing industry from arund the world, especially those in the
children's segment.
Where
do the raw materials come from? What is organic really? What does
sustainable mean? Which countries produce what and under what
circumstances? Who are the people behind all these products? Handmade
versus machine made. What are the traditions and culture behind the
clothes? What inventions have led to these? This list is endless.
At
the same time I was re-teaching myself many of the techniques of
sewing, knitting and crocheting which I had learned as a child, much of
this from my mother.
I learnt many, many new things too. For this I would like to thank the
many contributors on YouTube and eHow for being my instructurs.
By 2011, maiin-maiin had developed into modular customised self-assemble
children's clothes that can directly communicate the stories behind
them. The clothes would serve as the interface to online audiovisual
content. Each element, like a strap or a pocket, is linked to a set of
short narrative content, ranging from children's rhymes and songs that
touches on the colour, form and texture of that particular element to
documentary footage on the companies behind it. Once a videomaker,
always a videomaker.