Etudes x Wikiperdia

Etudes x Wikipedia

“When many people think of Wikipedia, they think of a website - a place to find and access knowledge,” said Zack McCune, Director of Brand at the Wikimedia Foundation, the nonprofit behind Wikipedia. “The Études collection is a reminder that Wikipedia is much more than technology. Wikipedia is a cherished part of culture: a living system that brings the joy of knowledge to places all around the world. It’s delightful to see the Études collection bring Wikipedia to fashion, making our aesthetics of information into something you can wear.”

We highlight this season’s theme of Diffusion/Illusion by welcoming our newest partnership with the free online encyclopedia, Wikipedia. Expanding the dialogue between what we (choose to) wear and the world of knowledge, this collaboration serves as an especially noteworthy stepping stone in the history of Études and the borderless impact we hope to cultivate as a contemporary voice in fashion.

Knowledge is vital, but it only becomes truly beneficial once it’s accessed and circulated globally. Wanting to carry this message to the outside as loud and visible as possible, we placed Wikipedia’s definition of ‘diffusion’ and ‘illusion’ in the form of screenshot prints onto several garments of the Summer/Spring 2020 collection. Examples of this outcome include a shirt, dress and skirt. Simultaneously, Wikipedia’s logo—an unfinished globe, constructed from puzzle pieces—becomes an elementary detail by joining Études’ very own definition and symbol on a black, minimalistic hoodie and cap. Together, the mapping of a new kind of communication becomes possible—allowing for the inside to be broadcast into the public domain.

A part of the profit is donated to the Wikimedia foundation.