For my thesis project, I was inspired by Shakespeare’s play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream because it combines several themes I typically explore in my design—nature, fantasy, and femininity. I am interested in the way that Shakespeare juxtaposes these themes and uses them as tools to speak about each other. Specifically, this play has gotten me interested in the relationship between femininity and nature.
As a fashion designer, I create unapologetically whimsical and feminine clothing with a focus on textile design. I don’t like how society frames femininity as a weakness; if a woman presents herself in a more traditionally feminine way (ex: wearing dresses, floral prints, makeup, etc.), she may be taken less seriously and viewed as less capable or weaker than a woman wearing more menswear inspired clothing (ex: a pantsuit). In my design practice, I aim to create feminine clothing that shows women that femininity is not a weakness, but is in fact a strength.
This semester, I want to explore the connection between women and nature. I will be looking into nature symbolism, the perception of women, and ecofeminism. Ecofeminism is a particularly interesting topic to me because it brought to my attention how similar the issues facing women and the environment are. I would like to look into this further and see what this knowledge can be used for to make a difference.
The relationship between women and nature is a topic worth researching because the way that we compare women with nature is evidence of deeper seeded problems that plague our society. I want to investigate the issues facing women and the environment and see what I can find out about how the two are connected.