My ‘Major Textiles Project’, ‘An Exploration of Female Identity’, explores the subjugation of female identity across time and challenges the need to recognise the significance of equality in contemporary society. My initial motivation was derived from Disney’s ‘Cruella De Vil’ and her ability to continue to subvert traditional stereotypes of the damsel in distress, symbolically positioning her character as a rebellious symbol of feminine power. I combined the inspiration of Cruella with Versace's fall 2022 collection, historical influences of the ‘Corset’ and Margaret Atwood’s ‘Spooty Handed Villainesses’’ to further communicate my message to audiences. This influenced me to design a two-piece costume consisting of a highly detailed and decorative corset and wide-leg dress pants that caught viewers' attention, taking them on a journey throughout the garment to consider the challenges of female empowerment across time. The greatest thing I learnt, as well as being challenged by, was the significance of being open to change and criticism in the design process which allowed me to take a step out of my comfort zone and overcome the fear of disapproval. I was then able to skilfully design a unique garment that brought to light the power of femininity and the challenges of identity, allowing the garment to have the power to transcend time and remain relevant to contemporary society. I specifically utilised a contrasting colour scheme of red, black and white to build emphasis and to enhance the aesthetics of the design, whilst continuing to reflect Cruella De Vil's feminine opulence. I creatively contemporized the structure of the traditional corset, by experimenting with distinctive decorative techniques and fabric combinations. This has been showcased with the gross-grain ribbon weaving in the corset panelling, gathered glass organza, machine embroidery, and lace coupled with satin and gaberdine. Red satin bias binding has been incorporated into the design to create an outline of a traditional corset for the human eye, creating emphasis on the feminine silhouette. The lining of the pants consists of machine embroidery of Margaret Atwood's quotes as well as contemporary feminist quotes to amplify the ‘Spotty-Handed Villianesses’ inspiration, revealing perspectives of feminism throughout time and context. The corset is accessible by a lace-up feature in the centre back which can be adjusted to fit the body. The pants are accessible by an invisible zip in the centre back. Ultimately, crafting a unique message of female identity for audiences.
