Fashion Machine

Five adults from the fields of textiles, photography and theatre will spend four days training 28 local kids to prepare them for a show where they will remake select audience members’ outfits in less than one hour.

For the show, brave audience members who are happy to have the clothes they are wearing cut up and completely remade into brand new works of art, volunteer for a clothing redesign by putting on an “I’m In” sticker when entering the Studio. The kids, who have been transformed into young designers, select seven lucky volunteers from the audience to be taken into the Fashion Machine. Then the action begins.

What happens in the Fashion Machine?
•    Brainstorming session happens between volunteers and designers 
•    Volunteers hand over the outfit they came to the show in and pop on a robe
•    Makers get busy redesigning outfits at their station in the Studio 
•    Audience members can move around the studio and watch the action in real time with a live broadcast on screen in an ever-expanding slideshow loop 
•    After 50 minutes, volunteers don redesigned outfits and showcase their new looks in a catwalk fashion show with commentary by the designers.

The Artists
The Other Guise develops new artistic works at home and on tour, provides rehearsal, performance and work space to Vancouver Island Artists and visitors, and leverages organizational resources to foster collaboration, arts innovation, knowledge exchange and professional development.

We believe the performing arts has the power to shift mindsets, promote positive brave dialogue and build connection between communities on Vancouver Island and internationally.

Fashion Machine was originally developed at Theatre SKAM and has been on tour since 2015 with previous stops in the US, UK, and Hong Kong.

Presented at Bunjil Place as part of Melbourne Fringe Festival, Victoria’s longest-running multi-arts festival, platforming independent artists and creativity for over 40 years.