State of Fashion 2024: Ties that Bind brings together creative practices in fashion, textiles and contemporary art from the Global South. Curated by Louise Bennetts and Rachel Dedman, with collaborators Sunny Dolat, Kallol Datta and Hanayrá Negreiros, this decentralised edition unfolds in Arnhem, Nairobi, Bengaluru and São Paulo. The project explores tradition, indigenous knowledge and the political potential of clothing, focusing on artists who address colonial legacies.
Held in a disused cinema in Arnhem, this year’s exhibition features around 100 works, highlighting the need for reform in the fashion system. Founded in 2017, State of Fashion aims to promote hopeful alternatives. Director Iris Ruisch emphasises the importance of cultural investment, aiming for fashion to play a meaningful role in society.
The State of Fashion Biennale promotes global kinship and encourages meaningful engagement with clothing. Bennetts highlights fashion’s potential for intimacy and nuance, countering its superficial perception. Ties that Bind explores associations between clothing and human relationships, embodying anger, poetry and hope. The Biennale seeks to challenge power structures and promote a more just fashion system through the voices of the Global South.
All photography courtesy of STATE OF FASHION
