Stoke-on-Trend

I have felt, for a long time, that fashion focuses too much on the "what": always shying away from that ocean of uncertainty that is the "why". Why do we create? What do we hope to achieve? What qualifies me to say to anyone "you should dress in this particular way" or "you should wear this or wear that"?

I have spent the past decade lying awake at night with such questions. My latest collection, then, is something of a left turn. I've always been drawn to the post-literal artists: Maria Lopez and her contemporaries... The honesty of calling things just what they are. Sartre, of course, conceived of two modes of being: pour-soi, via interaction with consciousness, and en-soi, which simply is. In many ways, this collection is an attempt to celebrate the latter. It's also a logical endpoint of aesthetic minimalism. When fashion is pushed as far as possible in this direction, we are forced to confront its inessential nature—no matter how strongly we might be convinced otherwise.

There's something anarchistic, too, about forgoing items of clothing altogether and scrawling onto the body directly. The sheerness of block capitals in black crayon against bare flesh evokes, for me, Punk's subversive spirit—that wavering duality of tongue-in-cheek derision and unabashed earnestness.

Sztefan Fosi-Bias [Designer]

Sztefan Fosi-Bias × Stoke-on-Trend

Of late, the relationship between designer and customer has undergone an unprecedented shift. No longer is price strictly a secondary concern—a necessary mediator of the creative/consumer interaction. Instead, prices have become a de facto part of the story, either through tales of savvy resellers turning ludicrous profits, or even more insidiously through carefully-curated mock outrage in popular media. "You won't believe how much this plain white t-shirt is on sale for!", "The $3000 necklace that resembles jewellery made by children", and so forth. This paradigm—and the popular derision associated therewith— reinforces the outdated notion of fashion being something only for "the few".

Fosi-Bias' collection for Stoke-on-Trend rejects the in-vogue model of hyper-exclusivity, instead producing a prototype of the hyper-inclusive. None of Sztefan Fosi-Bias' adornments are for sale, per se, but instead the designer provides a set of in-depth instructions that allow anyone to recreate them by themselves. Our very own Agata Olsson also weighs in with some styling advice for Fosi-Bias' unique creations.

  • Cleanliness is important.

Selecting and cleaning the area

Firstly, choose where to wear the Fosi-Bias adornment. In this example, the adornment is placed on the model's upper arm, though the instructions are essentially the same, irrespective of location. Other popular choices include the legs, torso, or even the face. After deciding upon a suitable site, clean the prospective area thoroughly. Ensure that the area is free from any dirt or debris, then swab with an alcohol wipe for approximately thirty seconds. Next, let the skin dry for a further thirty seconds.

  • Remember: safety first.

Patch testing and beginning

To create the adornment, it is recommended to use a crayon designed specifically for application on human skin. This has two advantages: ease of application, and ease of eventual removal. In a pinch, however, a felt-tip pen or permanent marker may suffice. For first-time wearers, we suggest conducting a patch-test in a discreet area, to ensure that there is no allergic or other adverse reaction to the ink used. Once this is ruled out, begin applying the ink to the desired area. Depending on the area chosen, it may be easier to ask someone else to help with this. Note: black ink is used in this example, although white/grey hues will be equally effective, depending on availability and maximum contrast against the wearer's skin tone.

  • Be slow, be methodical.

Producing the adornment

Slowly, begin writing the name of the body part. This should be done carefully, since it is relatively difficult to make adjustments without causing unsightly smudge-marks. For legibility and overall impact, it is preferable to use a thick, relatively large, capitalised, sans-serif font. In practice, this typeface is also the simplest to apply—an important consideration if applying an adornment by oneself. It may be useful to work with a mirror, to ensure that lettering is well-formed and consistent.

  • A mere possibility

Styling suggestions

You may not know it yet, but you already have the perfect pieces to style Fosi-Bias' new collection with. Naturally, Stoke-on-Trend gravitates towards a grungey, industrial aesthetic—exemplified by this tank (model's own) from Julius' SS16 [Sefiroth;] collection— but this is by no means prescriptive. For example, "ARM" could just as well be styled with a lavender, floral maxi dress.

One might also consider inverting the placement of the "ARM" and "LEG" adornments, such that arms are rendered legs, and vice versa. Doing so, of course, recasts the collection as a celebration of being "pour-soi".

An exchange of carbon dioxide and words

Each iteration of Stoke-on-Trend is built around a capsule collection with an oustanding designer from a different locale. For Stoke-on-Trend Stoke-on-Trent, this is Sztefan Fosi-Bias. A stalwart of the avant-garde, Fosi-Bias graduated from Antwerp's storied Royal Academy of Fine Arts in 2006, and has since enjoyed a reputation as provocateur. After several daring collections for his eponymous label, he joins forces with Stoke-on-Trend, doubling down on his incendiary instincts. Our founder, Agata Olsson, caught up with Sztefan during a shoot in the designer's Hanley studio...

"Corporate Slave" by Snog plays loudly in the background

SFB: You hear that simultaneous snarl and sleaze that the vocal has? It's perfect.

AO: That's something I always enjoy about your shows. The music always gives it this subversive but kind of ritualistic feel. You know, with the industrial and gothic stuff.

SFB: It's always felt like some sort of depraved ritual, to me. What I like about the Australian scene—Snog, Dead Can Dance, and so forth—is that you have these fierce, anti-establishment narratives going on, but with this kind of infectiously camp façade.

AO: So would you say this is a representative soundtrack of your creative process?

SFB: No, not at all <laughs>. Outside of the immediate build-up to a show or whatever, it would usually be something much more mellow. Lately, I've been going back to the early Aphex Twin records—"...I Care Because You Do", stuff from that era...

AO: How has it been, actually, working on this collaboration? I know that historically you've been quite open about enjoying the freedom granted by working alone...

SFB: Well, I always said I'd never rule out a collaboration—it just had to be the right context, you know? Where I'm not diluting or corrupting my creative vision, but instead amplifying it, or maybe just showing it to a different group of people.

AO: Different people?

SFB: Not necessarily different people, per se, but maybe projecting my ideas through a different lens.

AO: That's a lofty ambition. Do you think it's something that Stoke-on-Trend can offer?

SFB: I do. I earnestly do. I wouldn't have said yes [to the collaboration], otherwise <laughs>. Seriously, though—I've followed Stoke-on-Trend since before even the Stockholm days. Back when it was purely online, and you'd send everything out personally from...

AO: Göteborg?

SFB: Yes! And it would take weeks to get here, but it was worth it. At that time you had stuff that nobody else was really carrying—I think you had Damir Doma's first collection?

AO: I still have a few pieces, to this day. I never sell anything that doesn't excite me, but there are one or two things that I could never bring myself to part with. You know, I have one of the long coats from your debut Winter collection somewhere. I don't think I've ever worn it, but I remember wanting to hold onto it, just as an archival thing—as much as I hate that word <laughs>.

SFB: That's interesting. I felt the same way about that collection... There was this deeply emotional response where I felt like it had to be the start of something more. I knew that there was so much more I wanted to say, and now I'd started the conversation I felt really compelled to try to finish it.

AO: Long may the conversation continue! As for this one, I have only one more question: if you could work with any other designer, living or dead, who would you choose?

SFB: Rei Kawakubo, without a doubt.