SS/25 FAERIE
SS/25 FAERIE
THIS COLLECTION SPROUTED FROM A DESIRE FOR COMMUNITY BUILDING. MY RESEARCH STARTED WITH MEL ODOM’S FEMININE PORTRAYALS OF HOMOEROTICTISIM. THE SUBJECTS FOUND TO CREATE FAERIE ARE CHERRY-PICKED FROM THE VAST AMERICAN QUEER HISTORY. HANKY CODE IS A SIGNIFIER TO COMMUNICATE THESE VISUALS. WHILE ALSO REFERENCING THE RADICAL FAERIES FOUND AROUND THE US. THEIR ADAPTION OF LIVING LIFE UNAPOLOGETICALLY QUEER COMES AS A LARGE INSPIRATION TO MY WORK.
THE WEARER’S SEXUALITY COMES FROM THE UNDERGARMENTS WE ADORN. MAJORITY OF THE COLLECTION WAS FORMED THROUGH PATTERN MANIPULATIONS OF UNDERGARMENTS. Y-FRONT MEN’S BRIEFS REFERENCED INTO JEANS AND FLY OPENINGS ADAPTED INTO CUTOUTS. THESE DEPICTIONS OF MASCULINIZED OBJECTS TRANSCEND INTO FEMINIZED ATTIRE.
strange
MY DESIGN PRACTICE DERIVES FROM A LOVE FOR VISUAL DESCRIPTION AND IS ROOTED IN MY QUEER AMERICAN BACKGROUND. I DRAW STRONGLY ON THE COMPLEXITY OF HOMOSEXUALITY AND THE ASSUMED NORMS REFERENCED FROM HISTORY, LITERATURE, AND OUR CURRENT HOMOPHOBIC ZEITGEIST. I CONSIDER MYSELF A JACK OF ALL TRADES, LEARNING THROUGH THESE EXPERIENCES. EXPRESSION THROUGH CLOTHING IS THE IDEAL WITHIN MY DESIGN CONSCIOUSNESS.
FW/2024 THE FEMININE
THE FEMININE IS A COLLECTION FORMED BY CONCEPTS OF THE GAY MALE MASCULINE. THROUGH PATTERN MANIPULATION/MATERIALITY, THE FEMININE EXAMINES THE FEMININE QUEER MALE'S POSITION WITHIN AN AMERICANISED SOCIETY OF POWER AND PERCEPTION. A DECONSTRUCTION OF MEN'S UNDERWEAR IS USED THROUGHOUT THE COLLECTION; LOOKING AT THE NUANCE OF PHYSICAL ITEMS/PORTRAYALS OF THE MASCULINE AND AVOIDANCE OF FEMININITY. PARACORD IS OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITHIN SURVIVAL AND EMERGENCY SITUATIONS. THIS TEXTILE IS USED AS A CONNECTION BETWEEN THE CORE OF COMMODIFIED MANHOOD AND THE ONGOING SOCIAL AND POLITICAL UNCERTAINTY OF SAFETY WITHIN THE QUEER COMMUNITY. EMPLOYING A WARDROBE OF JOCKSTRAPS, BRIEFS, AND BOXERS, THESE ELEMENTS ARE BLURRED FROM THEIR IDENTITY CREATING A FEMININE SILHOUETTE. THE COLLECTION IS A PERSONAL RETELLING AND CREATED FOR THE REPRESENTATION OF THE FEMININE.