After meeting Cluc Couture and Joseph Helmer (participating designers) I am even more convinced that this event will have a deep impact on connecting issues of mental health to creativity.
Helmer asked us, “Why McQueen?”, and I think this is a perfect point-of-departure for a blog post…
Aside from being hugely inspirational as a designer on the international fashion scene, McQueen’s suicide put a face to an issue and really hit home (to me atleast) the profound connection between creative genius and mental illness.
When talking about the Made With Love Atelier one topic really resonates with audiences: designers are often consumed by their creative process. And I think Helmer’s work style—working until he goes blind—is the best piece of evidence we have encountered demonstrating this to be true!
Helmer’s perspective opened the door for further questions pertaining to the mental health of fashion designers. What is it about their passion, their vision, and their work ethic that we fail to recognize as something that is particularly juicy when attempting to understand the connection between creativity and “crazy”?
I leave you with this video…featuring Helmer…and his perspective. Hopefully it will inspire you the way it inspires us at Made With Love and Lab Créatif!
-Brooke