tion process as well as by the wearer. It was a one-size blouse with snap-button at-
tachable origami decorations where the rehab clients had designed the painted
fabric pattern as well as the origami flowers. During the process labels were pro-
duced where all those engaged in the production would leave a fingerprint and
thus leave a human trace on the garment, so enabling the customer to come a step
closer to the sewing studio.
After production we also took fashion-mimicking photos of the collection at Me-
rimetsa. Soonik and Eesmaa acted as models and the sewing studio environment
formed the background. The finished collection of garments was sold at a well
known fashion store in central Tallinn and the whole collection that was produced,
about two dozen pieces, was sold out during the summer.
Regrettably the project was not going as planned and a crucial element of the proc-
ess failed. The collaboration with the academy failed, as they saw no possibility of
including a one-week workshop in their schedule in any of their classes, even if the
students would be able to get their designs produced free and that distribution was
already set up.
Nevertheless, the collaboration with Merimetsa and the clients was very successful
and they were very thankful for the attention they had received from the local press
and visitors as well as the investment in new ideas into their daily routines. So we
decided to try a second round, but testing another method. The idea was now to try
something less fashionable but more directly focused on the work at the rehabilita-
tion centre.
The second part of the collaboration, MerimetsanAlchemy, was tried out in 2006
and we had modified two prototyped garment models from the first project, a di-
agonally draped apron and a kimono-like work shirt. This time the strategy was to
widen the interface between the production situation and the consumer, not
through a mimetic approach to fashion photography, but by a respectful docu-
mentation of the work in Merimetsa. Instead of compromising with the aesthetics
and modes of production from fashion this step aimed at deepening the social
therapy work using fashion as an alchemic tool.
Fingerprint labels were used in both collections where every person
involved in the production put a physical mark on their garments (left).
This was an attempt to stress the tangible link between production and
consumption, that these were the local hands that had made the garment.
The aim was to emphasize the connection between the clients, who were
co-designing and producing the garments, and the consumers examining
the garments and photos at the gallery. The MerimetsanAlchemy collec-
tion was photographed by portrait photographer Diana Lui (right).