2013
Conscientious Couture is a collection of prominent, sculptural headwear that incorporates the social movement known as “do-it-yourself” (D.I.Y) which advocates creative activities that push beyond traditional design boundaries with both materials and techniques. The D.I.Y culture is based as a philosophy “using anything you can get your hands on to shape your own cultural identity.”
This body of work, consisting of fifteen sculptural objects that also functions as wearable art; represents a social and environmental role in creative recycling. Using techniques that include parts from readily available objects, such as headphones, for structural support along with traditional textile methods combined with ubiquitous materials allows for spontaneous and improvisational solutions.
Some sculptures are a combination of almost forty different objects and materials. The body functions as an intermediary storage solution, instead of materials being deposited in a landfill, with the head serving as a focal point. The art of dressing the head is a personal expression about the fashion of adornment and may exemplify one’s commitment to a sustainable course of action.
The late Alexander McQueen said, “Fashion provides freedom of thought and expression while championing the authority of imagination.” What one decides to wear in public reflects an individual’s personality and value system. The relationships between mundane and discarded materials can be read as a social document that presents a narrative about consumer culture.
This collection of sculptural headwear offers solutions on how consumer consumption can become a part of the continuous trend cycle through re-use. Transforming objects and related materials lead to solutions in waste management while simultaneously encouraging friendly environmental consumer behavior.
