LISA KONNO

ABOUT
PORCELAIN
BODY

PORCELAIN BODY


The Porcelain Body is Lisa Konno's first solo museum exhibition in Museum JAN. This work questions the borders between fashion as a liberating form of self-expression, and, as a form of oppression. Konno uses archetypical female characters from both Dutch and Japanese history to expose the absurdity and contradictions in ideals of beauty. In a video installation and a series of objects that are somewhere between garments and sculpture, she demonstrates how our ideas about beauty are subject to time and culture. Konno combines, for the first time in her work, both textile and porcelain, stimulated by her residency in Arita (Japan). As someone with both Dutch and Japanese roots this period doubled as a personal quest.

MUSEUM JAN
CREATIVE RESIDENCY ARITA

ABOUT
NOBU BABA
HENK BOOK

NOBU BABA HENK BOOK


This book combines the process and stories of our film trilogy NOBU BABA HENK (together with writer and director Sarah Blok). In our films on migrant fathers we found common ground in our love for stories, told in a lighthearted tone, yet doing justice to their complex and socially involved subjects.

NOBU, BABA and HENK let us into their homes and hearts and taught us about human resilience, showed us the beauty and challenges of navigating two worlds and raised the question what culture actually is.

In this concluding book each film gets introduced with reference images, design sketches and text fragments of film scripts, before showing the finished films through subtitled filmstills. All carefully selected and designed by Marius Schwarz.



NOBU BABA HENK
Lisa Konno and Sarah Blok
Edited and designed by Marius Schwarz
Release date: 22 October 2022
Price: €34,95
Cover of NOBU BABA HENK, a book by Lisa Konno and Sarah Blok, deisgned by Marius Schwarz

ABOUT
HENK

HENK


Henk is a magic-realistic portrait of the Surinamese-Dutch caretaker of the Rietveld Art Academy in Amsterdam. Dressed in a fashion collection inspired by his life, Henk presents us his unique view on migration and success. His total absence of urge for recognition makes him an exception in this day and age, and more importantly in the domain of the art academy, where students strive to be seen.

After NOBU and BABA, HENK is the last and third part of the trilogy about fathers in the Netherlands with a migration background. A filmmaking collaboration between director Sarah Blok and designer Lisa Konno.

WATCH NOW ON NPO

Produced by VPRO & Studio Ruba
Photography: Coco Olakunle
Cinematography: Abel van Dijk
Models: Henk Shakison, Luca Shakison, Valentino Shakison, Yvette Dashorst

ABOUT
CLOGS

CLOGS


An installation made for the entry hall of the Zuiderzeemuseum inspired by wooden shoes, a symbol of Dutch history. Seven portraits hanging as a 3D mobile show crowns and masks made from different varieties of wooden shoes. From giftshop versions to the modern plastic Crocs. The work shows how the function of the clog has changed from practical object to the touristic symbol of Dutch identity. Each portrait represents a culture that has, either willingly or forced, contributed to Dutch heritage.

Photography: Peggy Kuiper
Curator: Anne van der Zwaag
Styling: Pascal Joel Weber
Make-up: Christel Man

ABOUT
GOODWILL
DUMPING

GOODWILL DUMPING


The bizarre industry around donated clothing

What happens when the lid of the container slams shut and our donated clothes embark on their global journey? Because of its massive scale and numerous facets, the charity industry processing them is a bizarre operation. It is the butterfly effect: a seemingly small action like giving away your old T-shirt sparks off a process with great consequences, for example for the industry in countries where it ends up.

This stylised documentary for BNNVARA shows the consequences of our benevolence.

WATCH NOW ON NPO

Director: Teddy Cherim
Fashion/Concept: Lisa Konno
Production: Cake Film Cinematography: Thijmen Doornik

ABOUT
BABA

BABA


A stylized portrait of a Turkish immigrant

BABA is the second edition of an ongoing multi-disciplinary project in collaboration with writer and director Sarah Blok, part one being NOBU. The collection, the photographs and the short film play with both Turkish and Dutch aesthetic cliches. Ceylan Utlu a.k.a BABA is the Turkish father of Serin Utlu. Questions about the role of migration in his life, their father/daughter relationship, loneliness and adaptation form the base of the story. The collection is inspired by items out of BABA’s wardrobe, such as a checked button down shirt and symbolism out of his life: A papaver flower symbolising his hometown Pörnek, his love for music and poetry in the saz and his own face as a brooch to mark his stubbornness. The rug is used as a symbol of Orientalism, covered with wool prints illustrating his personal identity on top of what is perceived as Turkish.

WATCH NOW ON VIMEO

Director: Sarah Blok
Fashion/Concept: Lisa Konno
Production: Boondocs
Photography: Laila Cohen

ABOUT
NOBU

NOBU


A stylized portrait of a Japanese immigrant

NOBU is inspired by Lisa Konno’s father: Nobuaki Konno. In this film she asks him about cultural differences while he wears the collection she made for him. The short film made with director Sarah Blok combines aesthetics with humour and social engagement with optimism. The collection reflects on Dutch and Japanese identity, caricaturizes cultural misunderstandings and the hype about Japan and at the same time draws an intimate portrait of her father as an immigrant. The designs are based on items of Nobu’s closet such as his old promo T-shirts, vintage kimonos and his favourite raincoat. The collection purposely exaggerates aesthetic cliches that are often used when designers are inspired by Japan: the decor includes a field of over-sized origami tulips and kimono-flowers were used as patches on T-shirts promoting Karate championships.

WATCH ON VIMEO STAFF PICK

Director: Sarah Blok
Fashion/Concept: Lisa Konno
Photography: Laila Cohen

ABOUT
YOURS TRULY

YOURS TRULY



Yours Truly is a project that was presented during Amsterdam Fashion Week in 2016. The collection invites you to be part of the process of making a garment. After the show the pattern package of an item in the collection became available. By selling an idea instead of a finished garment the project aims to gain back value for clothing by involving the wearer with the production of their wardrobe. The key material in this collection were highly recognisable printed scarfs, re-interpeted to create new and eclectic garments without wasting any textiles.

Photography: Team Peter Stigter, Peggy Kuiper

ABOUT
FOR THE
WORKERS

FOR THE WORKERS


An anti-sweatshop statement

In January 2015 Lisa Konno made her Amsterdam Fashion Week debut with her For the workers collection. This collection aimed to not only create awareness about the circumstances in the fast fashion industry but also to contribute to ideas on how to create fashion in a socially and environmentally sustainable way.

Pictures of the Bangladesh factory disaster were digitally printed on the garments in an abstract way. The fabrics were adapted in a way that turned the harrowing images into non-figurative aesthetic prints. A visual metaphor for fashion’s way of hiding the ugly parts of the industry. Repurposed striped men’s shirts formed the main material of the collection.

Photography: Tomek Dersu Aroon, Team Peter Stiger

OTHER PROJECTS

Here you find a collection of other smaller projects and collaborations.

PRESS

A selection of my work in press clippings featured in magazines such as: De Correspondent, i-D - Vice, Vogue Italia, Vogue Netherlands, ELLE, De Volkskrant, Het Parool, NRC Handelsblad, Linda, Amsterdam&CO, Nasty Magazine, Marie Claire, AndC, L’Officiel, Harpers Bazaar ...

EXHIBITIONS

A selection of my work presented at various places such as: International Film Festival Rotterdam, Kunstmuseum Den Haag, Tokyo Design Week, Amsterdam Fashion Week, Dutch Design Week, Clermont Ferrand Film Festival, Paris Fashion Week, Villa Mondriaan, Amsterdam Art Week, Ginza Mitsukoshi Tokyo, Het Compagnietheater and more.

RIJKSMUSEUM

A series of film portraits of the museum's employees in collaboration with director Sarah Blok. Five short stylised documentaries about the workers who form the backbone of the museum; like the chef, security guard and restaurateur. All dressed in my collections, posing as their favourite artwork.

COLLECT

is a never ending garment made in collaboration with Karin Vlug. A basic shirt can transform into a dress or a jumpsuit, using a very simple DIY button system. You are able to collect as many parts as you wish, such as different sleeves and collars. This sustainable wardrobe, containing just a couple of pieces, provides endless styles and possibilities to adjust to personal preference.

JOIN COLLECTIVE

is a modular clothing system that invites people to create clothes together. An open source manual explains how to make four different shapes that together create a complete outfit. For JOIN I made a modular jacket and skirt by repurposing vintage cotton bandanas. You can download the manual from their website. Each shape can be made by someone else, everyone can JOIN.

Yours Truly Pattern Package

is a DIY poster that enables you to make the blouse out of the Yours Truly collection. The package says: You can buy a shirt for 20 euro’s, but only the idea, you would have to put in the work and materials yourself. It involves the buyer in the making proces and encourages people to start making their own clothes again. Graphic Design: Marius Schwarz.

FOAM

This collaboration of photography and fashion was presented in FOAM. Photographer Olya Oleinic created a series of still-life’s of mass produced shirts. Olya’s pictures suggest an environment of destruction, referring to the circumstances in fast-fashion. The photo’s were printed on fabric. In combination with actual recycled shirts they formed the material of the garments. Instead of taking the shirts apart completely, small details were left in tact and used as ornaments to showcase the work that was once put into the shirt.

TROPENMUSEUM

For the opening of the Cool Japan exhibition I created a performance with choreographer Peter Leung. In the spacious light hall of the museum dancers Carlo Camagni and Frederik Kaijser wore the NOBU collection while dancing a karate inspired choreography. Nobu himself was modelling as the judge of the fight while wearing the pink coat made for him. The performance played with Japanese/Dutch culture and ideas of masculinity.

Graduation Collection

In 2014 I graduated from ArtEZ School of the Arts in Arnhem with a collection made out of textile waste. Different techniques such as knitting, weaving, coating and punching were used to design a collection that was both inspired by the visuals of a textile dump and made from textile waste.
My name is Lisa Konno and I am an artist and designer based in Amsterdam. 

In 2015 I started my practice by making collections from textile waste that made statements about the unethical habits of the fashion industry. In 2018 I won a Dutch Design Award. Since the work on the short film NOBU - a stylized portrait of my Japanese father - filmmaking became a place for me to express narratives through fashion, and fashion became a tool for portraying deeply personal stories that speak to universal themes. 

My work travels freely into different realms, from documentary, fashion, ceramics, to performance and more. These multidisciplinary works are always connected through a deep love for clothes and textiles, making human beings the central aspect within my work. Reoccurring themes in my work are cultural identity, sustainability and activism.



Contact:
info@lisakonno.com
+31 643539566
PRESS

“Om alles wat Henk niet zegt toch te laten zien, daarvoor dient de couture, ontworpen door Lisa Konno. Een liefdevol portret in een bijzondere vorm.”


“De kostuums van Konno verbeelden op een ijzersterke manier een kant van de modeindustrie die doorgaans abstract blijft.”


“Dragen kan, maar Lisa Konno maakt vooral kunst.”


“Zelden zie je activistisch werk dat zo modieus is”


“A fashion designer who breaks all the traditional structures of fashion.”


AWARDS

2020
Aesthetica Film Festival UK - Best Fashion Film
Amsterdam Fashion Film Festival - Best Fashion Film
Leiden Shorts - Best Documentary
Wellington Film Festival - best short doc
SIMA Awards - best short doc.

2019
Court Metrage de Lille - Audience Award
Sapporo International Film Festival
Szczecin Film Festival - Audience award
Rotterdams Open Doek Film Festival - Audience Award

2018
Dutch Design Award, Young Designer Award
The book NOBU BABA HENK combines the process and stories of the film trilogy by writer and director Sarah Blok and fashion designer Lisa Konno. In their films on migrant fathers they found common ground in their love for stories, told in a lighthearted tone, yet doing justice to their complex and socially involved subjects. NOBU, BABA and HENK let them into their homes and hearts and taught them about human resilience, showed them the beauty and challenges of navigating two worlds and raised the question what culture actually is. In this concluding book each film gets introduced with reference images, design sketches and text fragments of film scripts, before showing the finished films through subtitled filmstills. All carefully selected and designed by Marius Schwarz.

NOBU BABA HENK
Lisa Konno and Sarah Blok
Edited and designed by Marius Schwarz
Release: 22 October 2022
Price: €34,95

Design website: Marius Schwarz
Typeface: Jungka

Photography:
Coco Olakunle
Laila Cohen
Team Peter Stigter
Peggy Kuiper
Tomek Whitfield

Directors:
Sarah Blok
Teddy Cherim

Cinematography:
Abel van Dijk
Thijmen Doornik
Simon Meesters
Marc Slings