Int Stu 2: Project Deconstruction

My Seminar 1 teacher assigned us the task of making paper dresses that expressed a political statement. I struggled with the assignment at first, having never done anything with fashion, let alone with 3D paper constructions. But when I began to think about it conceptually, ideas began to flow. What are clothes for? To cover, to constrict, to support. What are the components to a dress? I went to its skeleton; the corset. Because I wanted to make a political statement about current politics and the Syrian War, I chose to use the latest NY Times as my paper. I explored the Syrian revolution as a proxy war between Russia and America through internet research, information from the newspaper I was using, and information I already knew. The stomach of the corset, or, the core, shows the core issue; the wreckage as a result of war. The cups, which are meant to support breasts, show Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, who support the Syrian war. The words “Player 1” and “Player 2” imply that our politicians are treating war like a game to gain power over one another, and also hints that Putin, as player 1, is in control. I chose the color red as trim to simultaneously evoke the blood and rage of war, and the love and compassion needed to put and end to all of the violence, danger, and heartlessness.

Parts of the piece are a bit sloppy, but I think that adds to the concept of the piece. Layers upon layers of stories make up the messy nuanced reality of war and politics, and thus, my newspaper corset.

Since the project, I decided to make it more easily wearable. I cut down the back, punched holes on each side, and purchased a dark blue ribbon to lace through the holes. I chose blue for the ribbon so the overall color scheme would be red white and blue, the national colors of both the United States and Russia. Now the piece is fully wearable, and I am planning a proper photoshoot soon.

Although I had a lot of anxiety over this project, I ended up really enjoying it, and I am proud of the final product. It has inspired me to continue exploring the fashion, to make more wearable political statements like this one, and to potentially explore the intersection between fashion and activism.

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