Anne-Marie Laflamme

Anne-Marie is a clothing and object designer based in Tiohtià:ke / Montreal. She holds a bachelor's degree in fashion design from the University of Quebec in Montreal and a graduate certificate in digital technologies in artistic design practice from Concordia University. Since 2009, she has co-directed the design studio atelier b, where she explores sustainable practices. In parallel with her design practice at atelier b, Anne-Marie is developing an experimental practice where she creates series of object-sculptures that reflect on textile waste.

She decided to bring the research on textile circularity and zero-waste manufacturing processes begun at atelier b into Concordia University's Master of Design programme. In parallel with her research, Anne-Marie has been teaching as a lecturer in Concordia University's Department of Design and Digital Arts since 2016.

 

Approach "My approach seeks to provoke reflection on our relationship with objects and materials, while celebrating the slowness, resilience and imperfect beauty of handmade items. This work stems from my experience as a clothing designer and from the universe of a sewing workshop. Through my sculptural objects and installations, I question contemporary aesthetics that favour smooth materials, highlighting a raw, rough aesthetic that contrasts with the sanitised perfection often associated with digital technology and object design. My objects evoke textures reminiscent of organic materials, contrasting with the clean lines of contemporary object design. They also bear the marks of clothing and manufacturing processes, linking the handcrafted gesture and its memory to the industrial world.

I use fibres from textiles and cellulosic origin, which I transform in such a way as to preserve their pure essence, without the use of glues or synthetic additives. This choice reflects a deeply committed approach to circularity: the materials are designed to be reused and reprocessed indefinitely, thus questioning the limits and possibilities of the life cycle of materials. My process also incorporates found objects, which add a narrative dimension to the creations and bear witness to the history of the materials and their potential for rebirth.

My approach revolves around research through the act of making and creation as environmental activism. I seek to raise awareness of the often opaque impacts of the manufacturing industry of object design, by giving a voice to the material and promoting handmade, slow production and artisanal know-how. This ecofeminist approach promotes a sustainable vision, where every creative gesture becomes a stance on the ecological and social challenges of our time.

Interests: slow fashion, sustainable design, circular economy, social entrepreneurship.

Affiliations:
Concordia University Research Chair in Critical Practices in Materials and Materiality
Milieux Institute of Arts, Culture and Technology at Concordia University (textiles + materiality research cluster)

Contact: [annemarie]@atelier-b.ca