SISTERHOOD SS16

Three Anti-DNA objects formed the starting point of the collection ‘Sisterhoood’: The steam punk corset, the fluffy Batman sweater and the anti-muse. These articles were chosen on the basis of their lack of personal aesthetic appeal; normally, they would not attract or trigger me.

Playing with perception and the act of removing things from their original function, I seek solutions by placing things in a new context. The principle of “turning around, upside-down and inside-out” forms the basis of the collection, guiding my approach to shape and material, challenging expectations.

Collection

The ‘Bow’ is the result of experimenting with the the corset on the body, reversing its original purpose by leaving it untied. The boning, tubes, tapes and pattern pieces translated into new shapes, free from the body. For insight into construction and detailing, I examined the corset and visited the exhibition “Dressing the Body: Silhouette and fashion” at Museu Del Disseny. Inspired by classic codes, I investigated traditional techniques to achieve new solutions. Through the deconstruction and application of corseterie detailing, the garment took on a double identity, becoming an ‘Accessoire-Garment’.
The ‘Mens-Bustier’ takes this principle further. Keeping the signature elements of classic pants, the iconic petersham waistband and selvage, I translated vintage men’s trousers into an asymmetrical Bustier-Blouse. Trouser legs became sleeves incorporating secret shoulder seams. The original rear seam dissolves into a constructed Bustier. The waistband transitions from shoulder-seam, to collar, to bustier-edge, then morphs back into its original position. The most important challenge was to keep the elements open to interpretation, while crafting a, wearable inner garment.

a Roller-Coaster ride to Sisterhood

The ‘Fringes-in-Fringe-Collar Coat’ plays on materiality and perception. Starting with a leather hide, I sought to reconstruct it in another form; the iconic little ‘fur coat’ à la Courtney Love. Handcraft was important in the process; the desired texture and volume were created by cutting fringes within lengths of hand-cut fringes. I decoded the coat’s construction, draping a collar-shape with the fringing so that it appears as the coat itself. The fringes are hand-stitched together on a base of sheepskin, fully finished with a hand-stitched silk facing. A silk lining completes the look, finished with Hong Kong seams so that it works as the coat. This idea of individual pieces is important to the collection: how they can interact.