A video made to communicate the "Localizing Global Garment Biographies" research project, funded by the Dutch National Science Agenda (NWA). The term ‘biography’ here refers to the history of a garment – the story it tells.

The NWA funds projects that aim to utilize scientific knowledge to tackle large societal challenges. It encourages projects that bring together researchers, educational institutions, NGOs and companies.

The project explored the cultural and economic significance of clothing, tracing the evolution
of garment production and usage from local, long-lasting items to today’s fast fashion and globalized production.

Involving Dutch and Indian fashion and design students, and Indian textile producers, the project aimed to bridge the experiential gaps within the global garment chain. To facilitate this, the project has experimented with digital tools that encourage communication between garment users and producers.

The globalization of garment production has a long history, making this project a perfect fit for the NWA’s Living History track. Inspired by historical and contemporary garments from Museum Rotterdam’s collection, the project challenged students to explore what garments
mean to them, and how they connect to their origins.

By linking previously disconnected narratives, the project aims to bring about positive changes in the garment industry, promoting fair and sustainable practices.@en

This book is the outcome of an experimental research and teaching project, aimed at rethinking how the garments we wear create relationships between producers, designers and wearers. The project has researched these relationships centered on the production of a dedicated t-shirt, designed, produced and put to use by the project partners, who are located in the Netherlands and India. This book provides an overview of the project trajectory, focusing on how the project has facilitated students from the vocational training colleges in Rotterdam (Netherlands) and Erode (India) to engage in co-creation, and encourage conversations on design, materials, labour, social inequality (caste), gender and value. The book is a resource for students and educators working in fashion related fields at high-school, vocational training and early bachelor degree levels. Integral to the book are a number of short video clips, dedicated to the crucial phases of the process.@en

Are your T-shirts some of the least valuable pieces of clothing in your wardrobe? Or are they very important to you? Have you ever wondered about the origin of your T-shirts, how they were made, where, or by whom? Join us on a journey to explore the places where the cotton for T-shirts was grown. We’ll introduce you to the people who turned the natural fiber into fabric, and you’ll discover what this means to you. Here, we’ll follow the journey of the T-shirt that was specifically produced for this project. Together we can discover what different stories a T-shirt can tell. Enjoy your travels!@en