Prestyn Phomsoupha
Stork's Bundle Bag
Prompt: Bridge 4 was built on our Bridge 3 concepts, which were established after visiting the Leslie Lohman and MFIT "Dress, Dreams, and Desire" exhibit. These shows presented many themes, including an emphasis on Sigmund Freud—touching on persona, the alter-ego, fetishism, the surreal, and more. We were tasked with developing a concept based on one of these themes before expanding into a cohesive, multi-week project that showcased our interests, values, and attractions for a specific topic.
A sewn tote bag is entirely made from upcycled clothing and accessories. The bag’s theme symbolizes the existence of gender norms through the opposing sides in garments and items. Drawing inspiration from Sigmund Freud’s implied theories about the coexistence of femininity and masculinity within individuals, it represents the contrast between what defines the two. One side focuses on pastel pink hues scattered through pieces of dresses, a girl’s t-shirt, jewels, ribbons, pearls, and more. The other side incorporates dark blue hues, embraced by button-ups, a tie, flannel print, a football ribbon, and men’s jeans. Although the outside showcases a clear division, the inside is a pure red throughout, representing the blood that is within all of us. Symbolizing that, at the end of the day, it is just clothes. The base of the bag was stitched using a sewing machine, which was my first time learning how to sew. Everything else was hot-glued and pieced together to add accessories to the bag.