alison.studio
2023

Kovari Collection Process

KOVARI explores the intersection of anti-fashion and industrial heritage, taking the Labin mining tradition as its starting point. The collection revitalises working and ceremonial clothes of Labin miners in a contemporary way by reconstructing patterns and embedding symbols, slogans, and signals drawn directly from the industry's history.

Wireframe of the jacket in CLO 3D.
Kovari outfit 3D work in progress.
CLO 3D work in progress. Jacket assembly.

The research focused on Labin's mining history: its labor movements, its visual language, its community built around collective work and shared risk. From that, a design vocabulary emerged - one rooted in function, material, and detail.

Pattern exploration began with workwear construction as a foundation; how a garment is cut for movement, durability, and utility. From there, each pattern was gradually shaped to carry the collection's references without losing the integrity of the original form.

Kovari collection outfits made in CLO 3D.
Scan of the white t-shirt with white puff print.
Design and graphic preparation for one of the puff print design.
Design and graphic preparation for one of the puff print design.

The puff print patterns were custom made, drawn from the underground signal code system: a language of light and sound used for communication and survival, translated into surface detail. The fabric was hand printed before assembly, ensuring the subtle print runs seamlessly across the entire surface.

Scanned white t-shirt with puff print.
Scanned gray jacket with custom buttons from Kovari collection.
Button design exploration for Kovari collection.

For KOVARI, every detail was designed from scratch. All trims were made from matte black plexiglass, buttons bearing the crossed hammers symbol, laser-cut with precision. Buckles and number plates were drawn as direct analogies to miners' identification tags: the numbers each miner received before descending, and was expected to return.

Technical drawings of buttons, buckles, and number plates for Kovari collection.
Scanned jacket details from Kovari collection.
Scanned jacket label detail from Kovari collection.
Scanned label showing mine coordinates from Kovari collection.

The labels were UV printed on canvas and sewn into each garment. Each one documents a key event, a date, or a figure from Labin's mining history alongside miners' greetings and symbols.