sense of aesthetic. Secondly, but the main reason, is that we still read fashion mag-
azines and we still bother to find the ones we like, buy and even collect them. As
long as there are fashion magazines, there is room for hosting a small local appen-
dix. This also has the advantage of lifting the local into the global, matching them.
Yet the zine has an analogue quality too for it bears marks of its production proc-
ess, often intentionally as this is one of the “authentic” aspects of zines. There is a
trace there of one of the creators. One of the creators was actually in that specific
store, putting that appendix into that specific magazine. There is a real analogue
connection, between one local sender and one local receiver.
In practice, the Syntax/144 method was tested on three different occasions in 2006,
namely in Malmö, Istanbul, and Borås. In Malmö and Istanbul groups of partici-
pants were formed through contacts and consisted of local fashion designers and
visual artists. The production process followed a simple procedure or protocol. We
first had a briefing session and discussed the method of contribution and practical
issues like how and where to photocopy the contributions. A week later we met to
assemble and staple the zines. Most of the participants’ designs contained simple
cut-and-paste aesthetics and various forms of collage and assemblages. These were
sampling, remixing, and twisting the established fashion. Some were direct com-
ments on fashion, some documented ideas for local or futuristic dresses while oth-
ers were comic adverts for own garments. The finished issues were divided equally
between the participants and we split up to distribute our share of copies through-
out the town.
I took part in the making of the two zines and also distributed my share of copied
issues. In Malmö the distribution took place in various press stores and at the rich
magazine department at the library. In Istanbul the zine was parasited in the mag-
azine sections in bookstores in the Beyoglu district. The issue created in Borås was
created during a one-day workshop with first year fashion students, finishing off a
course about fashion images. Due to the short time and limitations in photocopies
we made a smaller edition. My role was that of an advisor, but the project proved
to be a good didactic tool combining analysis, discussion and hands-on produc-
tion.
So where will this method finally take us? Well, if we image that the Syntax/144 will
become an immense success and lots of people will have their say in fashion it
might be a backlash, as it will erode part of the logic of exclusivity. Likewise, we will
be flooded in zines as we try to buy a fashion magazine. However, this will of course
never happen. Perhaps the opposite could be true, that what is created is a new
form of exclusivity or luxury – merging street credibility, the upcoming, the low
level, with the mechanisms and meanings of the established vectors. The strength
then lies in blending these flows into new forms of assemblages, not only as prod-
ucts, as zines, but as empowering practices, where it will be exclusive to participate
in a zine with the right upcoming scene of people.
What is most likely is that this form of method can offer a new way of thinking and
an example for fashion designers to work with other forms of production. They
can rethink their role as “victims” in the hands of fashion media to instead become
the media and use their small scale endeavours to produce other forms of exclusive
vectors. Through this, the old action spaces are exploded and formed to articulate
a local scene. The participants can engage in new alliances and form their local
scenes more consciously. They can create new ways to pool their resources and