Elias Ruuska

Elias Ruuska’s BA thesis collection, In the Following Order, explores garments through nonlinearity and fragmentation in photography and in today’s fast-paced image consumption. Drawing inspiration from writings on the nature of photography, the project reflects on these ideas and translates them into garments. In the process, Ruuska’s collection of found, second-hand materials serves as the starting point for each garment. The creative process is material-driven, with garments emerging from direct engagement with the fabrics, which guide the development of form. The use of found materials has also led to experimentation with various methods to further develop the textiles, such as bonding fabrics together. The garments are made using a collage-like method of draping them on flat surfaces. This allows Ruuska to prioritise the composition of materials before finalising the garment’s shape. Within this method, camera-like mechanisms are also incorporated, visualising elements of the act of taking a photograph, such as cropping, capturing movement, and obscuring elements. "I seek to make the garments discontinuous. I like when a piece of clothing ends abruptly or continue for a bit too long. I aim to capture the feeling of overstimulation- looking at too many things at once, without fully grasping any of it."