Monologue

Monologue examines humanity's need to protect itself from our increasingly

oppressive external environment. The collection explores transformable garments

that allow the wearer to quickly self-isolate. Embedded within the construction of the

garments are lightweight, expandable spaces that are easy to access when privacy

& protection are desired. A dress that transforms into a sleeping bag, jackets with

built in face coverings, and tops that expand into tents are integrated into the

collection in calming monochrome fabrics. Within the expanded spaces are washes

of psychologically soothing imagery. Visible only to the wearer, printed silk images

of a calming night sky or optimistic sunrise create an accessible escape for the

wearer.

Monologue maximizes the utilitarian function of clothing by providing portable safe

spaces. Constructed using traditional tailoring techniques, each form also draws

inspiration from engineering methods used in children’s pop-up books. And

although it was not the initial impetus for this collection, Covid-19 has highlighted the

importance of self protection and distance. The turmoil we endured during

quarantine has further contextualized the significance of isolation- whether to

distance oneself from the world in order to regain stability, or to disassociate from

the past and future in order to focus on the present.