Blouse Series

The idea for the blouses came in part from my past experience as a maker of custom wedding gowns. Making custom-fitted clothing is an extremely intimate process; the pattern pieces perfectly follow the contours of the individual’s body, no matter how “imperfect.” Hunched shoulders, different-sized arms, swayed backs; all are revealed and accommodated accordingly.

A visit to New York City was also influential. The complex grandeur and absolutely planned quality of the city made clear to me the power of the mind to visualize and manifest. These garments are metaphors for the unconscious mental constructs that people tailor for themselves in adaptation to their life experiences and wear daily without a second thought.

The series began with the blouse filled with sand, Comfort, inspired by the soothing quality I felt from the lead vest used during dental x-rays