Graduate collection

[boandaropax]

Hi SZ family,

I feel very abrupt to suddenly spring up on SZ like this but I hope I do not cause offence. I have (like I would imagine many), spent years browsing the SZ forums and only signed up earlier this year. I am a huge fan of this community and I look forward to contributing more in the future.

My name is Mel and I am a 23 year old textile and graphic major studying at the College of Fine Arts here in Sydney.
I have just completed my graduate collection/major project and would love to share with you all. There is a chance I will extend the collection with this technique, so any thoughts and criticisms will be taken onboard.









'I am not an object’ Is an exploration of the dichotomies of gender equality between progressive Sweden and traditional India. With the focus on interlacing techniques, the designer draws the connection between women’s rights and Kinbaku (a traditional Japanese bondage technique) through sex positive feminism.

After visiting India in January, 2014, the designer spoke with locals over different states about the lifestyle of a female growing up and living in India. If a female survives feticide and infanticide they will most likely be subjected to oppression, violence, sexual abuse, dowry-related murder, eve-teasing, sex trafficking and many more horrible situations in the coming years of their lives. Is this what life is like for young girls and women in India?

The mini collection celebrates powerful women, feminism, the female hero/warrior/fighter protagonist, the brave, intellectual and successful goddesses through a bold series of highly detailed fashion wearables.

Designed and made by Melissa Barrass

Materials used: Second hand leather (not direct from tannery), hand-dyed cotton rope from India, 50% silk 50% linen blend fabric

Thanks to the team: Photography by Paul Leonardo, hair & makeup by Glenn O’Reilly and model is Mona Meirop

[boandaropax]

Here are some closeups minus the pants which are pretty plain and boring 2 panel.

[boandaropax]

I don't follow much of the typical SZ womens collections but don't recall seeing anything this revealing before and it's distracting. I don't consider it "fashion wearable" in most environments.

I see what you mean. I probably should have stressed that I am a textile student creating wearables. I am not a 3-4 year trained fashion student, so the collection is small. I guess I try to highlight the coiling - traditionally a basketry technique which is time consuming especially all on my own.

It's something I would expand into a larger collection. Potentially over the coming months.

[Law]

I don't follow much of the typical SZ womens collections but don't recall seeing anything this revealing before and it's distracting. I don't consider it "fashion wearable" in most environments.

I'm failing to see your point? Are you ultra conservative or just prudish? It's eminently wearable in my opinion, good job!

[boandaropax]

I'm failing to see your point? Are you ultra conservative or just prudish? It's eminently wearable in my opinion, good job!

Hey thank you very much :)

[ambrosian]

I think the above reaction merely proves your collection's point.

Very good, I love the dress and the Kinbaku connection. It's a shame I only saw this the day I left Sydney, would be a pleasure to see in person!

[808]

really like the collection model photograph with dress and hat and ofcourse, actual garments too. it will be nice to see more in the future, I always believe non-fashion student come across with great work.

[princess]

I'm eminently pre-modern in cultural and fashion tastes. You won't find any historical pictures of women dressed this barely except outside of primitive tribes in tropical areas. Sex, exhibitionism, profanity, and their political correctness are products of modern nihilism.

I agree with ambrosian on how your comments reveal how little you understood the artist's intentions. Who is to say that expressions of modern femininity must be derived from historical depictions (ones that were, no doubt, primarily curated/created by men) or that they should be limited in any way? This collection celebrates FEMINISM, which really shits on the idea that people can tell women how they ought to behave.

I really believe that all of the pieces are wearable and beautiful. Good work!! Disregard anyone (especially any man) who tries to tell you that this is "too revealing".

[Senpai]

Just a tad curious as to how shibari and male domination bondage practices referenced in your work is supposed to highlight feminism and powerful women. I would understand a "fem dom" theme in your work showcasing women's power, but to go about it through gathering inspiration from women that were clearly abused and a bit powerless to their male counterparts in society seems almost ironic.

Craftmanship does look nice though! Not trying to diminish your work, was just genuinely curious.

[Ahimsa]

Just a tad curious as to how shibari and male domination bondage practices referenced in your work is supposed to highlight feminism and powerful women. I would understand a "fem dom" theme in your work showcasing women's power, but to go about it through gathering inspiration from women that were clearly abused and a bit powerless to their male counterparts in society seems almost ironic.

Craftmanship does look nice though! Not trying to diminish your work, was just genuinely curious.

Shibari simply means "to tie" or "to bind". The term 'shibari' in the context of bondage is a wrong Western Japonism.

In Aoi Kotsuhiroi's words: "The Kinbaku's continuous link is a ritual of embrace and adoration ... To stay in this notion of "bondage" is perhaps a misreading that arises when the eye remains on the surface."

[boandaropax]

Just a tad curious as to how shibari and male domination bondage practices referenced in your work is supposed to highlight feminism and powerful women. I would understand a "fem dom" theme in your work showcasing women's power, but to go about it through gathering inspiration from women that were clearly abused and a bit powerless to their male counterparts in society seems almost ironic.

Craftmanship does look nice though! Not trying to diminish your work, was just genuinely curious.

During research this was plaguing my mind, don't you worry. I read many interviews with the performers and there was a general attitude that it was liberating for them as a performer and championer of sexual freedom.
So I looked into deeper branches of feminism to unearth sex-positive feminism and the like to draw the connection with the performance art.

[boandaropax]

I must say after Leland's feedback I was scared to come back. Feedback is so welcome, but after I lay my concept on the table I feel there is no changing your thoughts which deem a little ignorant, but that is just my opinion.

Thankyou 808, Ambrosian, Princess, Ahimsa and Senpai. It's one thing to get friend's uplifting support, but to get people who live and breathe the SZ aesthetic, well it is really flattering and something I have worked hard for. So worth it. Thanks again.

I hope to share an extension from this in the near future :)

[boandaropax]

Do you have any images of paintings of common non-maternal French women with their breasts out? I only see blue bloods here and their ungrounded excessive pageantry fashion is aesthetically ridiculous and offensive regardless of breast exposure. Makes me almost as nauseous as sampling sterile contrived acoustic opera 78s looking for a rare soulful performance.

http://isiswardrobe.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-bared-bosom-in-17th-and-18th.html

Objectification of everything, not just women, is central to our sick cartesian judeo-christian islamic western tradition. When sex is sold everywhere in media, I think it's hubristic or naive for the OP to 'appropriate' 'similar' images for human rights awareness.

I am not selling sex. If "selling" is the word you would like to use, I am selling sex-positive feminism. There is no aim to produce or market this to reflect on this 'horrible society' you have made women's fashion out to be.
The concept is based around sex positive feminism, confidence and a fighting spirit within a woman. I 100% understand that the large majority of SZer's love layering and conservative wear (as do I) but that is not what I am looking at here. If I had another semester to further the collection, I would include alot more garments for covering/layering which would also include elements of my coiled rope technique which obviously is my little niche traditional technique. But I guess these are my standout pieces to establish myself and I hope they scream my message.
Maybe time travel is the way to go for you?

[Rosenrot]

These are excellent starting grounds for a collection. As a female I can appreciate the discourse you've started, and would wear a few of these items myself. The leather binding/coiling is what piqued my interest, as I am a huge fan of Aoi Kotsuhiroi who is influenced by Kinbaku as well.

Controversial issues such as feminism, sexuality and culture tied into fashion (which in itself is already laden with its own controversies) will inevitably spark debates, it's just unfortunate that there will be ill-informed people* who try to assert their opinions too. Please don't be discouraged to post or speak up, or tie in social issues with your works (with well-informed rationale of course). We need more creatives who aren't just concerned with making pretty things.

*or internet trolls

[ambrosian]

I don't think all objectification necessarily holds a negative connotation. We objectify things every day, and art is a sphere in which things are constantly objectified. We objectify our emotions, concepts and intangibles, in order to express them onto the world for whatever reason. What's important is the mode and method of objectification - dehumanization is not equal to objectification. Kinbaku embodies (objectifies) conceptual and social bonding and many of the women who engage in it as an artform are expressing this, subverting expectations by allowing themselves to be displayed as objects. Combined with the revealingly free formed, subtly unstructured garments here, there is an expression of freedom through restriction... which is a wide reaching concept.