About the project

VACUUM STATE is a project that combines photography and film which aims to showcase the new clothing collection of Katie Tubbing.

In a time of mass production, consumers are searching for instant gratification through purchasing more and more disposable products. We intend to counter this by focusing on preservation in combination with a slow fashion perspective. Money functions as its own type of religion, for what is money, if not a shared fiction? The garments that we want to present in the photographs embody sensory overload and material worship. We want to use the garments in combination with intense light to represent moments of spiritual awakening in consumer consciousness.

In order to stop global warming, consumer consciousness needs to change. The work of Katie Tubbing is slow fashion in that it focuses on upcycling and creating intimacy with a garment. By toeing the line between art and fashion we can allocate more than monetary value to a piece. By creating interest in locally handmade garments we hope to reignite appeal in made-to-measure pieces that tell stories, thus making deeper connections with the consumer and the piece. Instead of buying ten new garments every month, which are poor quality and will end up in landfills, one could buy one garment that speaks to you more deeply, existing as both art piece and fashion.

The goal of this project is not to sell the collection but to show the world the possibilities of handcraft as well as present a slower more sustainable approach to dressing the human body.

Each garment designed by Katie is unique and has been created with care, love, patience and persistence. Her designs do not align with fast fashion and aim to accentuate slow fashion, art, attention to detail and uniqueness. The photoshoot will take place at an old Abbey. The history and timelessness of the building ties in with the teams ambition to dwell on the longlasting beauty of objects that are taken care of over time, something she hopes will materialize with the work in fashion over the years.

The creative team behind “Vacuum State” is very passionate and motivated to bring this multidisciplinary project to life which is why we are asking for funding and your help in order to be able to use the right equipment and location. The project not only presents the distinctive clothing line by Katie, but also the visual expertise of Mikela Koressi who is the director of photography in charge of both the short film and the series of photos.

Who are we?

The core team of the project consists of Katie (designer), Mikela (photographer/DOP) and Antigone (Producer).

Katie studied fashion design at the Amsterdam fashion institute and Artez university of the Arts. Her work in the fashion sphere is experimental, in that is pushes aesthetic and physical boundaries. She has a deep passion for handcraft, working with the potential of a material. She integrates robotics and moving parts in her creations, blurring the line between fashion and art. She has worked at Alexander McQueen, Victor & Rolf and Philip Treacy. She evokes a new reality, a place where boredom does not exist and a fabricated sense of identity takes precedence.

Mikela will be responsible for the images that will be produced and making sure that both the clothing and the meaning behind each garment shine through in the finalized photographs. Originally from Greece she moved to the Netherlands six years ago to pursue her studies in film and now works full-time as a freelancer. Currently based in Amsterdam with three years of experience in the industry. With a focus in fashion photography, her aim is to create a unique image that clearly translates the vision of the designer/client and has a distinct, out of the mainstream, visual identity. For her personal projects she always tries to find original ways of taking pictures and spend a lot of time studying older photography techniques that can potentially add character and make the process of taking photos more exciting. Quality over quantity is the main motive behind her creative process. She spends a lot of time developing an idea and going over the detailed aspects of a project like creative direction, props and lighting so when the time comes to bring the project to life everyone can focus on perfecting their craft to ensure that the few pictures that will be taken are perfect. This is also why her preferred medium when taking pictures is film (analog).

Finally, the third member of the core creative team is the producer, Antigone Pappas. Antigone also coproduced a past project with Katie and Mikela, a short documentary titled “The Children of Nephilim”. Antigone recently graduated from the University of Amsterdam with a Masters degree in Film Studies. Besides her work in “The Children of Nephilim”, she has been part of the production team for three music videos in Greece and in the Netherlands and is now starting her work full time in the production of creative projects.

To see more of our work you can visit our websites:
- Mikela: www.mikelakoressi.com
- Katie: www.katietubbing.net