The Sensation of Cold

A collection by Markus Anttonen

“I started with the sensation of cold, not just its temperature, but how it makes the body move, shrink, wrap, and seek shelter.”

The Sensation of Cold explores the lived, bodily experience of wearing clothing in cold environments. Drawing from research into proprioception and kinesthesia, the collection investigates how garments relate to the body beyond visual aesthetics, through weight, pressure, movement, and touch. Instead of using traditional references, the design process was grounded in wearing-based research, allowing gestures like wrapping, hiding, and adjusting to guide silhouette and form.

The garments were developed intuitively, beginning with ambiguity and uncertainty.

“Without reference images or pre-existing shapes to hold on to, the process felt disorienting at first. But eventually, the sensations translated into sculptural forms, draped, wrapped, or shaped by instinctive motion.”

Materials such as felted wool, upcycled blankets, and textured knits were chosen for their tactile qualities and their capacity to evoke warmth, weight, and shelter.

Techniques involved digital pattern-making tools combined with physical fittings and draping. Forms evolved through iterative trials, closely informed by how garments behaved during actual wear. Several silhouettes extend or exaggerate bodily boundaries, mirroring the body’s attempt to preserve warmth. “The work became about negotiating space between the body and the outside world, about what we do to feel protected.”

Sustainability is approached through the reuse of surplus materials, slow construction techniques, and a focus on durability. Each piece is meant to be lived in, adjusted, and shaped by the wearer.

Contact information:

Markus Anttonen

markus.anttonen@aalto.fi

+358404195008

@markus.anttonen