The Winners of the Transparency Contest | Loveco & Luxiders Magazine

Loveco is an organic, fair-trade and vegan fashion store in Berlin. To celebrate its fifth anniversary this year, Loveco initiated a call for creative works exploring the theme of ‘Transparency’ in their daily work and within the fashion industry. This contest was part of the company’s visual collective #letswearfair, which is intended to give different players the chance to express their views about the fashion industry. Participants with an interest in photography, art and/or fashion were asked to express visually what transparency meant for them: in communication, creation, etc.

The creative contest was initiated together with Luxiders Magazine and the University of the Arts Berlin. The panel of judges consisted of Christina Wille, founder of Loveco, Dr. Renate Stauss, lecturer of fashion theory and fashion history at the Berlin University of the Arts and Belvis Soler, founder of Luxiders Magazine. The three best works were selected along a criteria of strong visual representation and a clear concept.

First Prize: “Sinnflut” by Regina Schäfer

The experimental knitting outfit is part of Regina Schäfer's fashion design studies in the collection of the fourth semester (winter 2017/2018, HTW Berlin). Her piece titled Sinnflut presents the body and spirit overflowing with stimuli and information as well as the psychosomatic response to such an experience. This is clarified through the language of form within the different structures and haptics of the knitted surface. Regina Schäfer defines transparency as the result of honesty and the assumption of responsibility. In order to create transparency holistically, the receiver of information must keep his or her eyes open and be critical.

loveco, sustainable fashion store, transparency, contest about transparency, Luxiders Magazine, University of Arts Berlin, Winners of the Transparency Contest, Regina Schäfer, Erie Ehrenberg, by Ulrike-Martha Zimmermann, Renate Stauss, Berlin University of the Arts

Second Prize: “The Burden of Transparency” by Erie Ehrenberg

Erie Ehrenburg conceptualises the privilege of “knowing” or having access to information. “I understand transparency as a process that involves creating traceability layer by layer that is to pick people up from their point of view and to help them out of the information overload.” This disclosure of the "layers" of information is signified through layers of clothing in Erie’s photography. Her work explores how transparency can help us to overcome our excessive demands and uncover information to make better decisions about our lifestyle and consumption. Awareness of this is the first step towards sustainable change because it can help us better understand the consequences of our own actions and consumer choices.

Third Prize: “Vasilisa” by Ulrike-Martha Zimmermann

Ulrike-Martha Zimmermann represented the theme of transparency through a sculpture of Vasilisa — the goddess of clarity, transparency and resulting inner and outer beauty. Vasilisa does not conceal anything. Colourful yarn grows from her eyes like extensions of her sight. The goddess’ eyes are closed because transparency also operates inwards. Everything she sees inside is transported to the outside in a continuous flow of energy.