Holes and Buttons, 2020, Seoul, KR

Holes and Buttons, 2020

The system of re-working

“Buttoning” refers to the act of fastening a button into a buttonhole to fix the form of a garment. Typically, the wearer aligns buttons with their corresponding holes to secure the garment in an orderly configuration. But what happens when this alignment is disrupted? When the button of a shirt is fastened into the hole of a pair of trousers, an unintended silhouette emerges. This not only departs from the form predetermined by the designer and maker, but also becomes a simple way for the wearer to intervene in the processes of design and construction.

Through this act of “buttoning,” SEHIKYO focuses on the possibility for the wearer to actively construct the form of clothing, presenting a video work that reflects this approach. In the video, the wearer responds to three garments provided by the designer, generating different forms through varied modes of wearing.

As both designer and observer, SEHIKYO proposes a shift away from the one-directional acceptance of the designer’s taste within a fashion landscape saturated with emerging fashion houses. Instead, it foregrounds a wearer-driven aesthetic grounded in imagination and acts of dressing. “Buttoning” facilitates such voluntary engagement, allowing the wearer to propose alternative forms. Ultimately, this act functions as a medium of interaction among designer, maker, and wearer. It further suggests a practice of moving beyond the excess of style toward the development of one’s own aesthetic. From the perspective of reworking, “buttoning” expands into a practice that carries the potential for upcycling.