Every morning, wear your own sewn clothes, pick some newly grown tomatoes and lettuce leaves in the garden, go back to the kitchen to bake two homemade banana bread , and then sit at the table to make your own breakfast... Because more and more people fall in love with handmade DIY, this kind of "returning to the garden and living" life has gradually become the norm for many Europeans.
This phenomenon also puzzles many people: Why do more and more people have to do it themselves if they can buy things? In the 21st century, why is Europe still setting off such a trend?
The prevalence of knitted sweaters is a reflection of the general background of the times
The new crown pneumonia epidemic has further promoted this do-it-yourself craze. Many building materials market leaders said: The demand for handmade materials has increased significantly during the epidemic.
This conclusion was recognized by Konrad Kuhn, assistant professor of European ethnology at the University of Innsbruck, Austria. He said that people have more time during the epidemic, especially those who work from home, who like to use DIY to balance work and life. Among the trends of
, sweaters are the most popular. Today, Europe has become a paradise for knitting. In daily necessities supermarkets, weaving counters can be found. Not only are there colorful wool, but also twine, silk thread and cotton thread, and all kinds of needles and rods for knitting are also available. In addition, there are various decorations on the counter that can enhance creativity.
Some analysts believe that luxury brands are one of the biggest promoters of this braiding style. Starting this spring, woven handbags or backpacks from major luxury brands have become popular in the streets and alleys of Europe. When promoting such knitted bags, some brands often outline pictures that easily make people feel emotionally resonant with . For example, the hand-woven weaver who highlights this bag is a kind grandmother or a friendly mother. Some Chinese netizens joked that the post-70s and post-80s people think of "mom brand" sweaters, and their backs are already itchy...
However, Kuhn linked this to the phenomenon that flour and yeast in some parts of Europe were quickly sold out after the outbreak of the epidemic. He believes that this is all related to the "survival movement". (The “survival movement” is also known as the “preparer movement”, which is the individual or group break that learns skills and stocks up food because of the belief that war or disaster will soon occur.) “In the context of crises such as the epidemic, climate change and the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, people want to be prepared. Therefore, industries related to the needs of bio-storage and manual labor are booming,” Kuhn added.
The COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent Ukrainian crisis have pushed up demand for handmade products, emergency reserves and survival training. Inflation accounts and other foreseeable crises such as power shortages and even power outages have further strengthened the trend of doing things and preparing for the future.
According to Kuhn's view, this wave of handicrafts reflects important issues related to the future, such as: Where will climate disasters lead to our society? How can people stay healthy and be prepared for danger in a modern lifestyle? "Small details are a reflection of the environment, like ordinary behavior like knitting your own sweater," Kuhn explained.
Modern History Professor Reinhild Kreis, University of Siegen (Universitat Siegen), has a deep understanding of this. He believes that for many people, being able to do it yourself during crisis can soothe your heart. "But this does not change the fact that one can rely on raw materials for one's own use. People still rely heavily on the infrastructure of the consumer industry." Self-sufficiency is still a rare phenomenon.
"Do it yourself" is still inseparable from the commercial market. DIY catalytic industry segmentation
Do it yourself trend even catalyzes market segmentation. In addition to traditional suppliers that provide handmade materials, yarn and handmade tools, there are also niche product suppliers and self-operated merchants such as "start presentations", "painting preparations" and "sour bread starters" sold through web pages and social media.
In this regard, Kuhn pointed out that the trend of doing things by yourself also follows the logic of capitalism . Although this sounds a bit contradictory, the fact is that "we buy materials and tools to do handicrafts by ourselves." Even if people can buy ready-made products, they will still do it themselves. Why do this? "In this process, people can feel their own movement and feel that they are useful."
Some people feel uncomfortable with the large number of goods produced in industrial assembly lines, which makes them yearn for personalized sweaters or desserts with preservatives added. In this regard, this trend in Western European and North America is a response to the consumer society and a form of critical society.
According to the two researchers, do-it-yourself prosperity is also a phenomenon of prosperity. Kuhn said that this trend is particularly obvious because of the strong purchasing power of Swiss . "Rui Shang was not affected by World War II , so it quickly developed into a modern consumer society." So this demand for balance appeared earlier than elsewhere.
This newspaper's pictures and text comprehensive European Times website
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