002 Designing With, Not For

On collaboration, lived experience and rethinking the design process.

Who gets to decide how clothing should function? And whose bodies are considered when garments are designed?

Fashion has traditionally been shaped around a relatively narrow understanding of the body. Standardised sizing, conventional construction methods and assumptions about how we dress and move often leave little room for the diversity of human experience.

At Ettra, these assumptions become a starting point for exploration.

Rather than approaching the wearer as a passive recipient of a finished design, the studio sees lived experience as a form of expertise. Through co-design, people with different bodily experiences are invited into the creative process, contributing knowledge that cannot be gained through observation alone.

This exchange is not simply about identifying functional challenges. It is also about understanding the personal, emotional and cultural relationships people have with their clothing.

A fastening might need to be easier to operate with one hand. A silhouette might need to accommodate a seated position. A particular fabric might offer comfort, protection or a sense of confidence. These considerations are not separate from aesthetics - they are part of what shapes the design.

Working collaboratively allows unexpected ideas to emerge, challenging the distinction between functional clothing and fashion.

The aim is not to create a universal solution that works identically for everyone, but to develop a more open and responsive approach to design. One that recognises difference as a source of knowledge, creativity and possibility.

For Ettra, inclusion is not an addition to the design process, It is part of how design begins.