lab portraits

Stefi lab 1

Lab session – lab portraits

September 2007

Taking “Second hand”, or vintage, shop as a kind of lab, changes any kind of idea about clean, organized, controlled, special-condition-surrounding space one might have.

To simplify things, making a definition about what lab means for me might help.

The first thing that comes to my mind when I think of Lab is medical lab, or virus lab. I think it is very interesting the way viruses are divided in many groups, sections, boxes, containers and str. The thing that fascinates me about virus labs is the way they work: researching and analyzing old , and discovering new, all at the same place. Going from that idea, I made my own definition about the perfect lab.

So taking a second hand vintage shop as a kind of lab gave me space to rediscover old and create new things.

Is lab all about new ideas?

Passion!

Can you change your identity in a lab? Should you?

Atmosphere!

Why do old things always come back? Do we always need to rethink/reconsider?

Using what you have!

Matching contrasts!

Do new ideas need old methods? Or old methods – new ideas?

…

If time is continuous circle (past-present-future trends) how do we say unique or original?

Selection based on new trends.

Why second hand is original? Is it because is limited edition nowadays?

BijOns

Unique vintage store. The clothes are 20-50 years old, but never worn. Shipped mostly from Germany, but also all around Europe. Clothes, shoes, accessories, house hold items and much more.

Zipper

Nowadays mostly mainstreem fashion. Following the style of H&M they make the selection of clothes brought from US and Germany. Bringing new brands (CheapMonday) and designers, they are trying to change this second hand store into new designed-retro style.

Episode

The biggest chain of second hand stores in Europe. They get the clothes in big piles from charity. First is cleaning and selecting what is for their shop, the rest they sell to other second hand shops, and at the end what is left is again for charity. Episode is a Symbol.