BFA Senior Thesis
Parsons School of Design
May 2018

ABOUT

This collection is about the clothes I wear.
More importantly, it is about the clothes we wear
and why we are wearing them right now.

In fashion history we learn about icons and trends of the 20th century: Chanel's little black dress, Dior's new look, mods of the 1960s, and power suits of the 1980s. None can deny the artistic and visionary effect that these designers and trands have had on fashion. But what about the t-shirt that you are currently wearing, the jeans that are so threadbare you just can't give them up, or that irreplaceable crewneck sweatshirt you've had since high school? Nothing makes these garments any less significant than those which we idolize for their position in fashion's history.

My work explores the significance of ordinary clothes to re-evaluate fashion's role in today's socio-political atmosphere of uncertainty. Since fashion cannot exist without clothes, it is whith this collection I question not why fashion matters, but rather what fashion matters? At this particular moment, when terrorist attacks, fake news, race and gender inequality, and presidential tweets saturate the news, fashion is not a priority. Given this level of global unrest, I argue that ordinary clothes become the most powerful form of fashion. The ubiquity of t-shirts, jeans, sweatshirts, trackpants, and the like have the ability to unite individuals in solidarity - something we need now more than ever.

Inspired by ethnographic research of every-day wardrobes and supported by pragmatic theory, this collection for men and women preserves the authenticity of ordinary clothes, while modernizing them through new construction techniques and contemporary graphics. In addition, several pieces are transformable and made from pre-existing garments, reflecting a sustainable design approach through multi-functionality.

It is through this collection that I aim to create equality, inclusivity, and solidarity through appearance.

LOOKBOOK¹

PHOTOGRAPHY:
OLIVIA ARNONE
& ALLY BRADSHAW

ASSISTANTS:
KANDYCE PIZZOLON
& ISABELLE ARNONE

MODELS:
HAZKEL BROWN,
LOCHLYN CLARK,
JUSTIN DEVALL,
JAMES HERNANDEZ,
SHANNON HUGHEY,
PRAO LEESWADTRAKUL,
SIMON MELEKHOV,
LEAH NASGOWITZ,
KYLE NAYLOR,
NIGEL XU

¹ View the full lookbook.