THE MEMORY OF A GARMENT – Experimental Costume Design – JOUKO KORKEASAARI

The memory of a garment is not a visible seam or stain, but a quiet layer that settles within the fabric. It is the warmth another body has left behind, the arc of movement in the sleeves, a gesture forgotten in a pocket.

The spirit of a garment lives in its wear, in stretched places and in the shadows that light draws across its surface. It remembers more than its wearer — the moments never spoken aloud, the spaces where breath deepened, the time that passed between skin and textile.
When a garment changes, its memory does not disappear. It shifts, bends and takes on a new form. And sometimes, if you listen carefully, you may still sense how the fabric whispers the rhythm of its past.

In this experimental costume design course, we explore clothing as a carrier of memories, identities and stories. The course combines experimental costume design with sculptural thinking: we investigate materials and three-dimensionality through hands-on techniques and build a new, previously unseen three-dimensional object from recycled materials.

Each participant brings at least one used garment. It may hold personal meaning, be interesting in its shape or material, or simply be a fascinating find. The garment serves as inspiration, material and narrative starting point. It may become the source of a character, a memory, a moment in time, or an entirely new fictional world.

​The course is based on observation, reflection, conceptualization, interaction and interpretation. During the process we approach the garment as an object, a memory and a potential event — ultimately bringing forth something unseen through the imaginative act of creation.


During the course we explore a wide range of materials and create three-dimensional works through various visual art approaches, such as:
 – sewing
– crafting
– painting
– deconstructing and reconstructing materials
– versatile use of recycled materials and techniques
– developing three-dimensional thinking
– material-based ideation
– envisioning something new and previously unseen
– developing one’s own expression through costume and spatial work
– deepening the understanding of the expressive possibilities of materials


The course is suitable for anyone interested in costume art, different visual and craft techniques, storytelling, performativity, or experimental design. Previous experience is not required — curiosity and a willingness to experiment are enough.



Please bring:
– at least one used garment (to be transformed or used as inspiration)

Visual artist Jouko Korkeasaari (b. 1971, Kajaani, Finland) works under the artist name Muotikummitus (“Fashion Ghost”). His artistic practice focuses on material-based costume art, through which he examines the structures of textile consumption and the circulation of materials. Working with recycled and found textiles, he explores the relationships between the body, materiality and identity at the intersection of visual art, design and performance.

Korkeasaari designs and produces all costumes himself and documents the works through photography. Photography forms a central and autonomous part of his artistic practice.

His works have been widely exhibited in museums and galleries in Finland and internationally, and they are included in several public art collections.
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Korkeasaari’s artistic work moves between exhibitions, performance and film, positioning costume both as a material object and as a performative instrument. In his practice, recycling functions not only as an ecological strategy but also as a conceptual and methodological framework.