Cemre Şimşek - Hochschule Pforzheim

Saçmala! – A bricolage of ancient dreams in a modern land – Hochschule Pforzheim

The bachelor’s thesis „SAÇMALA! – A Bricolage of Old Dreams in a modern land“ is a rebellious project against the status quo. The Turkish title „SAÇMALA!“ translates as „Make Nonsense!“ and becomes a call to explore creative spaces, tolerate contradictions, and embrace ambiguity. Nonsense is not understood as triviality, but rather as a productive attitude that questions certainties and opens up new perspectives. Drawing on her Turkish roots, the designer explores intergenerational craftsmanship, collectively transmitted knowledge, and resource-conserving practices. The focus is on traditional felt art, whose techniques and cultural significance are re-examined as valuable repositories of knowledge. The work brings into focus such „old dreams“—traditional practices and ways of thinking—that are often considered outdated in today’s zeitgeist. The project thus operates within the tension between interculturality, identity, and contemporary design. Turkish cultural heritage encounters current social issues, opening a dialogue about how cultural knowledge can be passed on, transformed, and reinterpreted across generations and borders. Collective knowledge is consciously prioritized over individuality. At the same time, the work critically engages with contemporary sustainability discourses. It questions how sustainability is often co-opted within existing systems and instrumentalized for economic interests. Practices and beliefs become visible that are rooted less in genuine environmental awareness than in capitalist logics of exploitation. As a creative response, SAÇMALA! develops a practice of bricolage: creating with existing materials, reinterpreting and reassembling materials, ideas, and memories. The resulting garments are predominantly made from recycled materials and are inspired by the spirit of punk and Dadaism. The seemingly „ridiculous“ creation becomes a conscious strategy of resistance and an act of creative freedom. Ultimately, „SAÇMALA!“ It is both an invitation and a permission to be creatively ridiculous: to confuse, to raise questions, and to tolerate ambivalence. The work invites us to rediscover knowledge from the past and to open spaces for answers that may not yet exist.

I am a German-born fashion designer with Turkish roots. My intercultural perspective shapes both my design approach and my design process. As a graduate of Pforzheim University, I explore how cultural heritage, contemporary design, and sustainable design can engage in dialogue. A particular focus of my work lies in applied materials research, especially in the areas of felting and other traditional craft techniques. I am interested in the potential of historically and culturally embedded production processes, which I reinterpret through experimental material manipulation and modern design approaches. In my collections, I reflect on identity, origin, and social issues. My particular interest in cultural developments and socio-political discourse is a central component of my creative work. For me, fashion is not only an aesthetic means of expression but also profoundly political.

PHOTO CREDIT: David Dannwolf