Lea Lafrenz - Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaft Hamburg

NAHVERKEHR – Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaft Hamburg

ENG The collection “NAHVERKEHR” addresses the physical as well as the interpersonal connections in public transportation. It explores how spatial perception influences people’s interactions and how these dynamics can be translated into tangible, interactive designs. The goal is to reconsider the invisible in‑between space not as a void but as a focal point, opening new perspectives on spatial experience. The designs invite wearers to consciously perceive space, proximity, and distance with their bodies, transforming public transit from a purely functional environment into a network of relationships and sensory impressions.
Key starting points are Edward T. Hall’s The Hidden Dimension and participatory art such as Franz Erhard Walther’s “1. Werksatz,” since, for me, an essential aspect of fashion is the act of wearing and experiencing it. The mechanical bellows of buses and trains and the architectural forms of the interiors serve as visual inspiration for my draping. Drawstrings with weights symbolize the constant pull between bodies and the resulting sense of compression. Connected garments bind bodies together, making their distance or closeness tangible. Wearers thus feel the tension between their bodies. Clothing becomes an active link between body and space.

About me
During my fashion design studies at HAW Hamburg, I realized how crucial the interplay of fashion, body, and space is to me. I view fashion as the living interface between these dimensions. In my work, I explore various aspects of this relationship. Sometimes as a connecting bridge, sometimes as a protective boundary.