For an AP Art assignment, I was given the prompt “Stack.” I was inspired to create a structured but playful dress that incorporated stacks of concentric circles for lots of dynamic bounce and movement. When applying to college, one of the applications asked us to make a piece inspired by another. So I set out to create a set of separates that were more wearable and practical: a mini-dress and culottes. As I was designing the clothing, I realized that the color and silhouette resembled that of many figures found in Italian Renaissance paintings. From court jesters, to clergymen, to Christ himself, characters in Venetian Red are a trademark feature of so many depicted scenes from this era, and coincidentally, here they were staring right back at me. To further emphasize the religious and zany nature of these costumes, I made a halo-inspired hat to complete the outfits. The next step was to photograph the two outfits together in a setting as fantastical as the costumes. I took over the attic in my garage and painted every surface with large, colorful flowers. To connect my models to their environment, I printed fabric with the same floral pattern I had painted, to sew into knee high socks and opera-length gloves. During the photoshoot, I chose not to direct my models’ every move. Instead,  I trusted the clothing would evoke the same feelings in my friends as I had when I wore the outfits. I was overjoyed when their entire demeanor transformed once they put on the bright red clothes. Their unapologetic and regal stances were entirely a product of the costumes' influence. The only thing I had to worry about was making sure I captured all of their irreverently divine poses.

Dress, Tunic, and Pants

Polyester Stretch Fabric, Boning,

Headpieces

Cardboard and Polyester Stretch Fabric

2022