Menstrual Matter Jewels
Category: Accessories
Competitions: Fashion Competition [Now Closed]
Menstrual Matter Jewels is a groundbreaking project developed in a context where menstruation is still considered a taboo topic, even though many women periodically live with it. A collection of jewellery made from menstrual blood with the aim of breaking the taboos and stigmas associated with menstruation, while empowering women and celebrating life. It serves to revalue the biological waste of menstrual blood and turn it into a precious and valuable object that empowers women and breaks the taboos associated with menstruation. It visualises the potential of the matter as a resource for a new material. As a woman, I experience the menstrual phenomenon on a regular, monthly basis. Observing how much of my own menstrual blood is discarded, I realised that this personal experience is repeated daily by countless women, generating an incalculable amount of menstrual blood waste. I felt it was crucial to address this issue both from an environmental perspective, taking advantage of this material as a resource for the creation of new materials; and from a social point of view, breaking the taboo associated with this issue and celebrating it as it is the key to the essence of life. The time has come to change it! It consists of a collection of seven rings, each inspired by one of the seven phases of the ovarian menstrual cycle. At the start of her cycle, a woman places the first ring of the collection, the "Primordial Ring", on her hand, symbolising the initial ovarian phase known as the Primordial Phase. Then, on the fourth day, she adds a second ring, indicating progress to the next phase, and so on until the last ring is placed. When a woman wears the complete collection of rings, she experiences maximum empowerment during her menstruation. Each month, the woman creates a new menstrual ring, and the previous ring is biodegraded into compost. In this way, the collection of seven rings is always maintained. For its creation, I have conducted extensive material research to develop a new material that is compostable, ductile, resistant and translucent to light. This innovative material is composed of menstrual blood, gelatine and distilled water. It stands out for its innovative character and its ability to transcend conventional boundaries. It dares to challenge established social norms and reshape our perception of menstruation. By creating rings from menstrual blood, the aim is to transform the negative connotations associated with menstruation into a celebration of female beauty and empowerment. It's an opportunity to talk about the very essence of femininity, represented by the menstrual cycle. In a world where menstrual blood is discarded without consideration, this project chooses to honour and celebrate it through jewellery, which has always been a medium for expressing our emotions, telling our stories and manifesting our identities. It's time to free ourselves from taboos, open our hearts and minds, and recognise the importance and value it deserves. This project is a catalyst for change and a call to action for a world that needs to accept and value the transformative power of menstruation.
