In the DFG-funded study, Prof Dr Heike Derwanz and Verena Strebinger use the example of minimalists to investigate how sustainable housekeeping and economic activity is implemented and morally reflected upon. To answer the question of how textile minimalism is practised in everyday life, they conduct wardrobe interviews and participant observations with people in Germany, Austria and Switzerland who describe themselves as minimalism enthusiasts or minimalists. Short questionnaires, textile diaries and group discussions are also part of the project's repertoire of methods.

From a cultural studies perspective, the study is primarily concerned with the value of textiles, care and repair routines and the role of sustainability in everyday textile minimalist life. It provides fundamental information on the constitution and consumption of clothing in the age of fast fashion.

The project duration is 3 years (2018-2021).

Click here to go to the project page of the German Research Foundation.