Harm Coordes: Exploring the Intersection of Fashion, Sustainability, and Mindful Consumer Behavior

Interview: Marco in 't Veldt

In 2024, Harm Heye Coordes received a Rudolf Agricola PhD Grant. We asked him: 'What will you do with it?'

I'm researching through participatory experiences how fashion can be more meaningful. I create fashion-related situations where participants reflect on their environment, which can shift their consumer behavior. My goal is to question how people perceive and engage with fashion by inviting them to view familiar things—like the sky or the act of boiling water—with a fresh perspective. It’s about fostering awareness and mindfulness before we even consider what materials to use.

What does that look like in practice?

It often involves small, shared moments. By focusing on everyday processes, I encourage people to ask, ‘How do we use and perceive our surroundings?’ My work goes beyond sustainable materials or buying habits, questioning why we consume and examining if we even need certain items. The idea is to help people realize that everything we need is often already there if we shift how we view and engage with what we own.

Consumer behavior is a key part of this, right?

Exactly. If we reframe how we view our surroundings, it might be possible to change our - myself included of course – behavior. This doesn't mean telling people what to do but offering experiences to help them reconsider their habits. There’s a lot of fear around ideas like ‘degrowth’ or ‘using less,’ yet I also see beauty in simplicity. My approach creates a space for people to experience that simplicity firsthand.

Tell me about the workshop you'll run with your grant.

The workshop will be a hands-on experience in sustainable fashion, merging physical and digital realms. Participants will collaboratively design one garment but can create avatars representing real, ideal, or even imaginative body shapes. They’ll then adjust the garment pattern to suit each avatar, print, and sew them. It’s a collective experience that allows participants to reflect on body image, individuality, and collective creativity.

How does this connect to sustainability?

In sustainability, we often focus on the materials or products, but this workshop will emphasize mindful consumption and social responsibility. It also emphasizes DIY or self-making, which fosters an appreciation for the labor and creativity behind garments. I primarily work with upcycled materials or ‘dead stock’—discarded or surplus fabrics—to minimize waste and emphasize reuse.

How many participants will be involved, and how is the space set up?

It will be a small, in-person group of about six people. I prefer an analog setting, where everyone is together, experiencing the process in real-time. We’ll use a projector to display each avatar’s evolution, a large table for discussions, and sewing stations for practical engagement. This close-knit setup fosters real connections and reflections that digital-only interactions sometimes struggle to replicate.

How will you measure the impact of this workshop on participants?

I envision follow-up interviews or surveys, maybe three months after the workshop, to see if it influenced their behavior or mindset. This is practice-based research, so qualitative feedback—like what participants felt, thought, or did differently afterward—will be invaluable.

Who will the participants be, and how will they be selected?

I plan to reach out to diverse communities, from city dwellers to those in rural areas, possibly through social initiatives. I’m curious to see how different backgrounds influence how people engage with fashion and the design process. There’s often an assumption that rural areas prioritize fitting in, while cities prioritize individual expression, but I’m open to discovering where those assumptions may not hold true.

Do you see yourself primarily as an artist or scientist?

I identify as an ‘artistic researcher’, which aligns well with my interdisciplinary approach. Fashion is a social space—a means of connecting people—and my work bridges theoretical and practical aspects of sustainability. I see myself working at the intersection of social sciences, artistic practices, and fashion design.

Is this research interdisciplinary?

Yes, it combines theory, hands-on practices, and the arts to address fashion as a cultural and social medium. This approach is inherently interdisciplinary, connecting art, sustainability, and consumer behavior studies.

How does your brand, ‘Church of the Hand,’ fit into this?

Church of the Hand is more of a conceptual project than a brand in the traditional sense. It critiques consumer culture, where brands almost hold religious significance. Hands symbolize creation, reflecting the participatory nature of my work, where fashion isn’t about mass production but personal, communal experiences.

What’s your view on the fashion industry and sustainability?

The industry has taken steps toward sustainability, but there’s a contradiction between sustainable practices and the industry’s growth-oriented model. As the saying goes, ‘The most sustainable fashion is the one that has never been created.’ So while changes in production are impactful, a profit-driven growth model cannot co-exist along genuine sustainability.

In what ways will the workshop make an impact?

Participants will reflect on body image, individuality, and sustainable consumption through digital and analog experiences. By connecting theory and practice, I hope they gain a new understanding of how they consume fashion and view themselves.

What are your goals for your PhD?

I aim to compile a handbook for sustainable fashion practices, with exercises and theory that others can use. This manual could serve as a resource for stores, museums, and universities, making the insights and exercises from my work accessible to a wider audience.

Further reading

• Minding the Mundain. An Attempt of Documenting Experience through Scores (article, 2023)