Here is the link to my project, with high-quality images displaying my work:

https://isabel-reardon-pf58.squarespace.com/

Every year, at least 8 million tons of plastic are dumped into the ocean. That plastic, along with chemical sludge and other debris, travels through the water and settles into “gyres”, trapped by currents, forming islands of garbage.

But can’t we use some of our trash, instead of piling it into oceans and landfills?

This website is part of an art project that explores the connections between environmental degradation, capitalism, and female beauty standards, drawing upon times in history that have led to the world we live in today. I collected plastic bags and soda cans from city streets, beaches, and my own consumption. Using an iron, I fused the plastic bags together and made bustiers out of the material, attaching and adorning them with parts cut aluminum cans and old newspaper. Each wearable statement has a different texture, material, cut, and message, but together they explore the intersection between design and activism—two fields that desperately need each other.

I was fortunate to work with photographer Katie Comfort and model Klara Nilson for our photoshoot at Coney Island. I chose the setting, backgrounds, and props to complement each topic, shining a light on consumerism and evoking nostalgic Americana.

Haut Plastique is about taking something unwanted and unsustainable, and reversing it. I want my pieces to draw in the eye, and with it, the mind. Ultimately, I want people to think critically about what they’re putting on their bodies, and the effect is has on the world around them. A fraction of the hypothetical profits from each piece go to the topic they’re each about.

Here are some screenshots from the website I linked above:

Here are some images of the pieces during the final critique:

Fish Scale Bustier:

Genetically Modified Apron:

“I just HAD to Have it” Underbust Corset