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Integrative Studio : Decon/Recon Project – The Suicidal Dress

Date: March 14, 2015
Author: Yoni Yu
Category: ,

The Suicidal Dress

Firstly, I got the inspiration from the questions about the relationship between death and fashion. Are there any clothes that  we wear when we die? Why is black mourning color? Why do mourning/funeral dresses have to be very simple and dull?

These questions eventually led me to explore the new perspective of death, especially very personal death, ‘suicide’. Majority of people in this society views suicide as very tragic and depressing issue. However, I want to provide new angle of suicide. It’s their choice, which is the journey that they choose. We shouldn’t be sad about decision, just be accepting because it’s their choice and decision.

On the other hand, catholic is against suicide. They say that ourselves are the god’s temple itself, so if we destroy the god’s temple, he will destroy us. So I had Jesus garment to deconstruct to create irony. Somebody commits suicide with his clothes on, Jesus who was strongly against suicide, there is an irony in it.

So I named this project as ‘The Suicidal Dress’. I wanted to reconstruct it as beautiful gown that somebody wears when they go to die. I got the draping inspiration from water submersion, just like water swallows you as death swallows you.

The main part is the mask. If you put soaked paper or fabric on the face, you slowly suffocate yourself and drown. I chose this method because when you drown, adrenaline is emitted so you feel euphoria like you’re hypnotized. The mask should be really beautiful because her journey should be beautiful as well because she chose this path.