Lucy Liu
Nuclear Sublime
Prompt: Students will contruct a 6 croquis collection and create 1 of the 6 looks as the final bridge.
My croquis collection explores the power struggle within 1950s nuclear family and the BDSM community, where both served as a form of escapism. While people enjoyed the authentic power imbalance within BDSM play, the power imbalance created by fixed gender roles within nuclear families had a misogynistic undertone that restrained women. I chose to make this spike suit set from my croquis collection because it is inspired by the popular 1950s New Look style, which emphasizes the male vision of femininity: tight waist, full hip, and long legs. By adding the spikes to the suit, the ensemble symbolizes the internal struggle of both women in 1950s and today when facing sexist social obligations while also adding a hint of fetishwear to the vintage silhouette. I wanted to expose the gilded escapism that traditional gender roles provided: although she is full of rebellious spikes, she is still stuck in the kitchen. Behind the smiling lips are the true power struggle she faces everyday in a patriarchal society.