Making sense of art and design industries

Written by: frosk1

Today I want to discuss a bit about the Oslo based fashion house, Holzweiler, which is a fashion house based on art, culture, creativity and sustainability. The team behind Holzweiler is CEO Andreas Holzweiler, Duy Ngo, Maria Skappel Holzweiler and Susanne Holzweiler.

Holzweiler has had numerous art collaborations and art-inspired clothes, using for example Munch, creating scarves, sweaters etc. with patterns of Munchs famous artwork, or Munch-inspired colours. Holzweiler has also collaborated with the norwegian street- and stencilartist Martin Whatson. The art and cultural focus in Holzweiler is what makes the brand so unique, as well as their focus on environmental sustainability. I think Holzweiler has managed to get a unique place in the huge fashion industry because of the cultural, artsy way of making clothes, that also supports other artists. Collaborations makes the impression of the brand very generous, as well as the brand retains sort of a norwegian character or spirit.  Here is a few Munch-inspired clothes made by Holzweiler;  

Copied from: https://hoyer.no/dame/be-you-munch-493992

Copied from: http://tekstilforum.no/munch-inspirert-holzweiler-0

Where is the organisation situated in the design industry?

According to the co-founders themselves, Holzweiler is making success by challenging the norms of the clothing industry.

«Holzweiler is a curious, creative and playful brand. It’s a place where everyone is working hard and pushing each other towards a common goal: to continue to challenge ourselves and the norms of the industry; to make good fashion, and to have a very good time while doing it.»

• Susanne and Andreas Holzweiler, Founders.

Holzweiler has grown a lot, and has over 50 employees. They started with scarves in 2012, and has now launched full scale collections, accessories and footwear. Holzweiler is no longer just known for norwegians, but is today an international known brand.

According to the course «art and design industries», clothing is in the field «formgiving of design». There is a discussion between art and commerse, and that commerse is causing further separation between art and design. I would still consider Holzweiler as something in between, because their clothing is inspired by art and culture, as well as having a functionality and being a commerse organisation. But on the other hand, Holzweiler is considered as design because it responds to more than aesthetic concerns. But as Thomas John Watson Jr. said;

«Good design is good business.»

This quote substantiates the reason to having partnerships between artists and business, such as Holzweiler did with for example Martin Whatson. Holzweiler has shown that art can be a cool and playful way to express their clothes in a more commersebased industry, and that good design IS good business. 

Sources;

https://www.holzweiler.no/about  (04.09.19)

Seminar 1, art and designindustries w/ Peter Booth