dorota kabala designs sensual and sustainable dancewear for swiss alps performance

the human body in motion, in nature

designer dorota kabala used natural yarns and recycled materials to create two dance costumes for maria zimpel’s latest choreography in the swiss alps. named ‘waterdances/ yes poems’, the performance sees zimpel dance in icy streams, atop sharp rocks, and on soft undergrowth. 

the choreography is described as a manifesto to reflect on the relationship between the human body in motion and wildlife. it also intends to evoke reflections on the connection between man’s approach to the natural environment and the social treatment of women.

‘alps, switzerland, muzeum susch, embodied nature, ecofeminism – these are the words that I remember from the conversation with maria zimpel,’ says kabala about the project.

with the themes of zimpel’s choreography in mind, kabala developed a dancewear concept based on minimalism, natural materials, and the principle of reuse. the designer also took into account the relationship of the female body with the natural environment in sensual, functional and ideological terms.

based on this idea, kabala developed a modular set of two dance costumes, the leenee suit and leenee feelm suit. the leenee suit is made of over 96% natural yarn with technical properties. the top of the leenee feelm suit is made from the reused material of another garment. 93% of the bottom of this outfit is made of natural yarn with technical properties. ‘as always in my projects, I wanted the best possible implementation of the principles of sustainable development,’ says the designer of studio we design for physical culture.

kabala used her studio’s experience in the sports industry and in previous projects for contemporary dance to develop a costume that ensures comfort while dancing, aligns with the motif of the choreography, and complements the dancer’s body in motion and the surrounding landscape. 

‘contemporary dance dancewear requires the selection of specialized materials and thoughtful cuts that allow for freedom of movement and expression,’ explains kabala.

the designer continues, ‘I am thrilled and proud that my studio project has become associated with it. respect for nature is not only of the utmost importance to me but also to my work as a designer. it guided me when designing dancewear for maria. I have made it a tenet of the values of my studio as it is in line with one of the most important trends of the future, nature-focused sustainability.’

film still from waterdances/yes poems by maria zimpel, director of photography claudio von planta, 2021

project info:

name: leenee suit and leenee feelm suit for waterdances/ yes poems

director, choreography, dance: maria zimpel

director of photography: claudio von planta

in collaboration with: acziun susch

curated by: joanna leśnierowska at muzeum susch, art station foundation by grażyna kulczyk, K3 & kampnagel hamburg

supported by: NPN- STEPPING OUT

funded by: the federal government commissioner for culture and media within the framework of the initiative NEUSTART KULTUR. assistance program for dance DE, MUZEUM SUSCH, art station foundation CH, PLby grażyna kulczyk.

editing: mathias hollaender

music: holly hock

audio mix and field recording: waclaw zimpel

costumes: ko_ruho; dorota kabala | we design for physical culture
shoes: larissa von planta

shoes: larissa von planta

scientific consultations: jadwiga zimpel

subtitles: anna nowokuńska

special thanks to: melanie zimmerman and niklaus bein

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.