written June 22nd, 2009 · 2 comments

The idea for this project came to me as a mental image. I began by taking photographs in my kitchen. The first round of images were not great so I did the photo shoot once again and got a good amount of usable photographs. Then I photoshopped all the images and created the collages in InDesign. I first paired the images. One arm with one leg. I tried to come up with visually interesting combinations with a lot of bodily movement. Then I created the black and white forms between the body parts so as to allude to a hidden torso and also to create tension and visual movement within the square canvas. This was an intuitive process. I didn’t do any sketches for the black and white shapes. I did view the collages as a series though and made sure that each individual piece was standing on its own as well as working with the others, so there was a lot of editing of the black and white shapes after the initial designs were done.

In part, this collage is about bodily empowerment and how the only fashion statement one can infinitely control and that really counts is your body. I began ballet training when I was 4 years old, and since, I have had a continual awareness of my body, its strength and its image. With the financial crisis, and without a job, I actually began going to Yoga and Pilates classes, after having put it off for years because I was too cheap. Before, I was buying cute clothes instead. But since December, I haven’t bought a single piece of clothing. As I reevaluated my life, my design career and my future, I saw what was really important to me. Mainly, that my body and therefore, I, feel good! I wanted to be in classes again, to really push myself and if not in ballet class (which is a bit too strenuous for me these days), then Yoga! Pilates! I have really never felt physically better in all my life. I love going to Yoga in a room heated to about 36° C/97° F, stretching my body and holding positions with my own will and nothing else. I have never really felt anything like it!

But anyhow, enough about my Yoga blabbering, the point is, being physically fit is completely underrated. I wanted to visually express a new kind of fashion. One needs nothing more than a physically fit body to feel good and stylish!

Series 1:

Series 2:

Series 3: