The ''indie design'' movement is made up of independent designers, artists, and
craftspeople
An artisan (from french: artisan, it, artigiano) is a skilled craft worker who makes or creates material objects partly or entirely by hand. These objects may be functional or strictly decorative, for example furniture, decorative art ...
who design and make a wide array of products − without being part of large, industrialised businesses. The indie design movement can be seen as being an aspect of the general indie movement and
DIY culture
"Do it yourself" ("DIY") is the method of building, modifying, or repairing things by oneself without the direct aid of professionals or certified experts. Academic research has described DIY as behaviors where "individuals use raw and semi ...
.
The designs created generally include works and art pieces that are individual to that creative individual. Such products may include jewellery and other
fashion accessories
In fashion, an accessory is an item used to contribute, in a secondary manner, to an individual's outfit. Accessories are often chosen to complete an outfit and complement the wearer's look. They have the capacity to further express an individual ...
,
ceramics
A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porcelain ...
, clothing,
glass art
Glass art refers to individual works of art that are substantially or wholly made of glass. It ranges in size from monumental works and installation pieces to wall hangings and windows, to works of art made in studios and factories, including glas ...
,
metalwork
Metalworking is the process of shaping and reshaping metals to create useful objects, parts, assemblies, and large scale structures. As a term it covers a wide and diverse range of processes, skills, and tools for producing objects on every scale ...
, furniture, cosmetics,
handicrafts
A handicraft, sometimes more precisely expressed as artisanal handicraft or handmade, is any of a wide variety of types of work where useful and decorative objects are made completely by one’s hand or by using only simple, non-automated re ...
, and diverse
artwork
A work of art, artwork, art piece, piece of art or art object is an artistic creation of aesthetic value. Except for "work of art", which may be used of any work regarded as art in its widest sense, including works from literature ...
s.
Marketing
Self-employed indie designers are supported by shoppers who are seeking niche and often handmade products as opposed to those mass-produced by manufacturing and retail corporations.
Indie designers often sell their items directly to buyers by way of their own online shops,
craft fairs
A craft or trade is a pastime or an occupation that requires particular skills and knowledge of skilled work. In a historical sense, particularly the Middle Ages and earlier, the term is usually applied to people occupied in small scale prod ...
,
street market
A marketplace or market place is a location where people regularly gather for the purchase and sale of provisions, livestock, and other goods. In different parts of the world, a marketplace may be described as a '' souk'' (from the Arabic), ' ...
s and a variety of online marketplaces, such as
Etsy
Etsy, Inc. is an American e-commerce company focused on handmade or vintage items and craft supplies. These items fall under a wide range of categories, including jewelry, bags, clothing, home décor and furniture, toys, art, as well as craft su ...
.
However, they may also engage in consignment and/or wholesale relationships with retail outlets, both online and offline.
;Corporate knockoffs
In recent years some large manufacturing and/or retail
fashion
Fashion is a form of self-expression and autonomy at a particular period and place and in a specific context, of clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body posture. The term implies a look defined by the fashion in ...
and other lifestyle corporations have sold products which appear to closely resemble or directly copy innovative original works of indie designers and artists.
[Michal Addady]
"12 Artists Are Accusing Zara of Stealing Their Designs"
''Fortune'', 20 July 2016 This has caused some controversy.
See also
*
Design Piracy Prohibition Act The Design Piracy Prohibition Act, , , and , were bills of the same name introduced in the United States Congress that would have amended Title 17 of the United States Code to provide '' sui generis'' protection to fashion designs for a period of t ...
*
Fashion design copyright Although elements of fashion design copyright may be traced in Europe to as early as the 15th century, as of 2016 most countries (including the United States and the United Kingdom) fashion design does not have the same protection as other creative ...
References
{{Design
Design
DIY culture
Art movements
Handicrafts
Subcultures