Junior Independent Final

The majority of my work has been influence by my feelings about the place I am currently in. As my environment changes, so does my work, according to what I feel the need to talk about and what I need to make.

Italy, unexpectedly, turned my work a little feminist.

The aggressiveness of Italian men turned me off pretty quickly, and led me to look more closely at the way females (of all nationalities) are treated in Italy. From Italian TV to magazines and advertisements, women are extremely sexualized and objectified. Sex is used to sell things that shouldn’t need it. Women are on display 24/7 in Italy.

Shop windows are extremely important to the center of Florence. Commonly, while walking on the small sidewalks you are forced to stop for someone looking at the windows, examining the contents and then usually walking away. This is how I feel here. Women are being viewed, but not really considered. Stared at for a minute, then thrown away. Feelings, personality, or anything more about a person are never considered.

The prints became a way for me to refer to Florence specifically. All the designs are based on famous Florence landmarks. The decision to make them into garments reflects the importance of the fashion industry in Italy, and how that also has an affect on the way women are viewed.

I’ve placed myself in my prints, within the shop windows.



(For the record, I photoshoped myself into these images. I wasn't actually in the windows)