THESIS 2011

My thesis is about continuation. The clothing I create is the integration of introspection, awareness, and practicality. This explanation aligns with the thought and material processes I have developed since I began making. Through production I have found joy and have gained a more profound self-awareness and heightened sense of what is meaningful in my life—connection, community, history, and identity. The clothing I make reflects my identity and sense of purpose as well as the meditative practice of handwork.

The first question I asked was how can my clothing speak to the self-aware woman, one who views her outward appearance as a momentary expression of self?

I followed up by asking these simple questions of my work “who, what, where, why, and how” in terms of my clothes-making practice. While remaining conscious of my personal meditative connection —introspection and awareness—I progressed by making the connecting leap between female awareness and practicality. After much research on the history of the “who, what, where, why, and how” in American women’s wear, my clothing became more approachable in material and form for my definition of the modern American woman, wearable for those who are actively participating in everyday life, progressive in their longevity, and transformative by allowing the freedom to embrace momentary change.

It is important to acknowledge the lack of beginning or end, by doing so you can only acknowledge the process, which is the present moment.

I have great respect for the materials I work with, they are salvaged denim from used jeans (durability, practicality, material history and history of being reworked), organic wools spun and dyed in Maine (color, practicality and community connection) and silk (color and history of femininity). My methods of construction derive from traditional womens’ domestic craft: dyeing, hand and machine sewing, hand and machine knitting, felting, patch working and rug braiding. My nearly waste-less production methods, importantly the reworking the common pair of jeans- are intended to produce designs that allow for its own evolution with its wearer.

I work in groups in order to encourage creative community and to invite practitioners to slow down and live in the moment. To keep a deeper personal connection to my work, I give myself time for self-reflection by working alone (which is expressed in my detailed hand stitching).

My work is the expression of the tumultuous present and the feminine power of the modern American woman who is constantly moving forward. My designs may not be perfect, but nothing human ever is.

I have developed a business plan for a store front and small line that will be based off this system of production. It will solidify my approach of awareness through community with local production, residency programs, local artist contributions, collaborations with local schools, and the teaching of traditional crafts though workshops.

Here are some film stills from a fashion film I collaborated on with Sarah Sitzler. Six out of eight looks are presented.