The Fairytale of Male tells a story that was initially inspired by Welsh Women’s Heritage costume and juxtaposing that heritage with a Catholic School uniform that I felt nurtured in while also hindered. These feelings led me to pursue a sort-of harmony between the two as Masculine/ Feminine archetypes of clothing are not found in nature. The way I found my own approach to gender was through the literary device of the Dark Forest found in Fairytales, how the journey through the Dark Forest acts as a symbol of change for the character in a story and all my time spent growing up in the valleys
and my eventual quest to university was my navigation through a more mental Dark Forest and is transcribed through my use of Passing Thread and beadwork. The Spirals are like footfall with the beads being “bumps in the road” along the way. The garments leave the dark forest looking like a tattered semblance of what they once may have been, but a story is left imprinted upon it. To me, it’s like a marrying between nature plus mental exploration to create a balance between the two, with the use of sustainable materials/ deadstock items.
Tailored Asymmetric Jacket imbued with passing thread spirals, detached sleeves and beadwork. Paired with a draped mesh top and skirt, decorated with beads/ gems.
