Puzzleware: The importance of kid’s involvement in garment creation

Children and their position in fashion is an element that is often easily overlooked in a world that is dominated by adult-centred creation. However, a new wave of DIY trends has sparked a revival of at-home crafts that gets people of all ages busy. Maija Nygren is one of those who has fully integrated this trend into her one-woman design studio, Almaborealis, launching an innovative self-assembly project that puts kids’ creativity in the driver’s seat.

Puzzleware, which was launched by the Edinburgh-based mum of one last year, has since been shortlisted for Dezeen’s 2021 Awards in its wearable design category. Speaking to FashionUnited, Nygren said the response has been “mental” since this recognition. “I have not been in a calibre of that kind before,” she said, adding that the reaction resulted in an extremely busy Christmas period for her.

The project, which she described as “a different zone of clothing”, involves a pack of puzzle-like fabric parts that kids can piece together to make their own garments. “Being shortlisted really demonstrated the strength of the concept,” she said. “It has been a tricky thing to market. It’s difficult to pin down because it’s a bit ‘weird’, it’s something people are not used to seeing.”

Talking about when the idea dawned on her, Nygren said: “I’m a parent myself and I noticed that there was a real lack in sustainable creative craft kits, or craft kits in general, that allows a child to make a three-dimensional garment that they can actually wear.”

DIY kits include colourful pieces of wool with easy lace-up holes that help children effortlessly sew the blocks together, almost like knitting together a jigsaw puzzle. Each pack comes complete with blunt knitting needles and a Learn to Stitch card printed on recycled paper, all with the intention of making garment production completely accessible to children. The kits are developed with the intention of causing little to no errors so that the assembly comes frustration-free and therefore has the ability to build confidence in a young creator.

“I noticed the lack of urgency in kidswear, not only in the sustainability but also the rate garments are produced, and children don’t get a say in any of it,” she said on the gap she saw in the market. “I was inspired by that. What if the child can come into that process and have a say? Clothing is such an important tool for expression and the exploration of identity. It is something that often happens in teen years but why couldn’t it start even earlier?”

Nygren’s goal was to organise the garment creation process into a way that was accessible for children so that their clothing could also be a way for them to express themselves and allow them to have a voice in what they wear.

“What is important is embedding the idea of where things come from…”

“I think its important to allow them to understand that they can have an impact and that could trickle down into other areas of society later on,” she said. “What is also important is embedding the idea of where things come from and how they are made. If you understand where something is made you are more likely to have a deeper connection with it and care for it - particularly if you constructed it yourself.”

She added that losing the concept of making things could directly link to excessive consumption, something that the kit attempts to dismantle. Sustainability also extends into the product itself. Lambswool used for the puzzle pieces are all 100 percent wool and biodegradable, and come complete with plastic-free packaging that Maija says is either recycled, recyclable or reusable. Wooden needles also add to the experience, acting almost like sensory factors that she believes are more comforting and welcoming than plastic needles.

“There are subtle differences I have taken that have maximised the use of sustainable materials,” she noted. “That is the kind of level and ideal I want to set - to be entirely plastic-free - which I am sure I can take further.”

All in all, the project sees education and sustainability go hand in hand, bringing together both the elements of dexterity and confidence-building with sustainable processes. She added: “It educates on sustainable thinking while having inherently all the aspects of creativity and problem-solving.”

“In the UK, cloth kits from the 60s are the closest to what I can think of in terms of the concept,” continued Nygren. “The heritage I have linked to knitting - resourcefulness and making things last - is something that comes from my parents and grandparents.”

In fact, it is grandparents that Nygren counts as one of her most prominent customer groups, often finding them purchasing the kits for their grandchildren to revive the skills they used to use themselves. Alongside grandparents, children’s parents are also an important part of the project’s success, however, Nygren has observed that customers often need to be a bit open-minded to the concept, which can possibly come across as unusual to some. Yet, she does understand the concern.

“It can be quite difficult to allow your child to go out and dress however they want. I have had to swallow my words when my child has chosen her own clothes, but I allow her to go out anyway,” said Nygren, commenting that the project, mostly, appeals to parents who aren’t afraid to do the same. She recognises that elements, such as the exposed hand-stitching, can be quite conspicuous, however, suggested that it can simply be perceived similarly to that of a child’s personal handwriting, as something parents can really celebrate.

Garment creation as a form of self-expression

Nonetheless, Nygren has considered appealing to a larger customer group, mentioning the intention to explore more muted tones and single colours in future releases in a bid to possibly sway more parents. “The clashes of colour is often not everyone’s cup of tea,” she remarked.

While the actual growth of the project is linked to more customer demand and an evolution of herself as a designer, Nygren’s Puzzleware project is ultimately about the child’s creative expression and personal skill development. She hopes that the kits will contribute to further learning in young children and possibly aid in the maturation of their creative problem solving and dexterity skills, an element that is often not touched upon in the kidswear category.

Picture This, a company that recreates garments designed by kids themselves, is similarly co-run by a mum of two. Seconding Nygren’s drive for children’s expression, Jaimee Finney’s vision for the company stemmed from the joy on her daughter’s face when she recreated one of her drawings in real life. Now, the US-based company has made it possible to bring kids’ creations to life in wearable replicas.

“There’s a moment of pure magic when you see a child holding a creation they had taken from their imagination to paper,” Finney said, in a conversation with FashionUnited. “We take it one more step and bring it into the real world. They can see it, hold it, wear it. And it’s the only one in the world - as unique as they are.”

For Finney, her solution also needed to be both sustainable and fun for kids. The process starts with a simple garment outline that a child can decorate however they wish. A quick photo sends the final design off to Picture This, who then create the piece, whether it be leggings, dresses, face masks or t-shirts, and send it back to be worn by the young creator. When asked what the importance was of involving kids in this clothing design cycle, Finney said: “We open doors of possibility in how kids think when we allow them to be involved in the creation and decision-making process.”

Like Nygren, Finney also believes in the importance of allowing a child to express themselves through their own creations, noting that their inclusion is more than just the final product.

She added: “It was never about ‘childrenswear’ for us, as much as it’s about enabling the experience of imagination, creation and being confident enough to embrace that you are truly one-of-a-kind.”

In a next step to expand on the vision of Puzzleware and what it can do for kids, Nygren also mentioned her plans to take the concept into physical workshops where she can be present and relay the idea in person. Young attendees will be able to select their own puzzle pieces from baskets, to be assembled in the session for them to finally take home and wear themselves. Physical classes felt like a natural extension of the concept for Nygren, who said that she has many more ideas that are writhing to jump out of her notebook. “It is just me working on it so things can take a while but I have a few new ideas to come throughout the year,” Nygren concluded.