Withered Beauty

Category: Apparel

My contribution is a mini collection I have named “Withered Beauty”. As a starting point, I looked to the tuberculosis epidemic between 1840 and 1850, or consumption as it was called back then. This disease was highly romanticized at the time, as its symptoms reflected the coveted female beauty standards in the western world. The infected would be struck by high fever, heavy weight loss and pale skin. They could easily live with consumption and its symptoms for a few years, before it ended in a “good death” for many. The latest fashion helped to achieve the ideal razor-thin figure, and many women voluntarily exposed themselves to dangerous chemicals such as arsenic and charcoal in their skin care routine to whiten their skin and teeth and achieve the desired look. There are countless examples of how people put themselves in danger to achieve short-term goals, whether it concerns a desirable appearance or how we have long since used up nature's resources for short-term pleasure. With this collection, I want to reflect on humanity’s own mortality, and how nature breaks down and reacts in the face of man-made threats. Through the beauty ideals of the 1840s and 50s, nature's many processes and forgotten treasures, and metals left behind, I want to tell a story about nature's resilience and the enormous consequences today's society can have for the uncertain future. I have chosen old techniques to color and design the fabrics, like natural dying and eco printing, as well as newer and unconventional materials, like kombucha leather. The whole collection is made from vegan, natural fibers and materials that will eventually be a part of nature once discarded. I have also opted for metal instead of plastic, to avoid spreading of micro-plastics. Most of the metal used are pieces I have collected from the side of the road.