Maria Gross
We're All The Same On The Inside.
Prompt: A personal fashion research project with the development of a theme / research question.
For this assignment, we were prompted to created a research based project that develops into an art piece. I decided to focus on the human body and anatomy. The project began with research of the muscular and skeletal systems, with plenty of conversations and photos shared back and forth between my mother and I (who is a practicing doctor). I also drew inspiration from Elsa Schiaparelli’s surrealist designs that focused on the body and McQueen’s jewelry designs. I wanted to explore the relationship between humans and their bodies and attempt to create the inside of the body on the outside. After prototyping and patterning the dress, I ended up using quilting techniques to stitch the top of the garment and smocking techniques to create the skirt. The skirt was entirely hand sewn and attached to the top. The skirt’s inspiration derived from the brain’s interior cerebrum. The top is inspired by the muscular system, with another top over that represents the skeletal system and can be worn with or without the dress.