Senior Thesis Collection
"Love in All Forms"
My concept for this collection was to break down different forms of love. I chose this concept to bring attention to love, love is one of the few things in life that is euphoric, ever-lasting, ever-changing, and freeing. Love is not linear, it has many ups, downs, and arounds. It is complicated and determined but also foolish and fearful. I wanted to create a story of love to convey how valuable it is to be able to experience love in all of its forms. I wanted to talk about not only the beautiful & loving parts of a relationship but the dark and scary parts as well. Each one of my looks discusses a different form of love.
The first look represents a toxic, mourning love, the opposite of what love is supposed to feel like. In these relationships, we feel our hearts are suffering and bleeding out. I used the textile manipulation of knife pleats in a vibrant red double-faced satin to represent your "heart" bleeding out onto your side. This look also features a bustier top with a side separating zipper and classic trouser pants with flare in light pink stretch twill with a front zipper closure.
The second look represents a deep-rooted love that suffers and has struggled through a lot of battles. To represent all of the twists, turns, ups, and downs this love experiences I used a double-faced woven fabric to drape cowls that twist and turn around this mid-length dress. It's chaotic and new but has a simple foundation just as a deep-rooted love would.
Cowls are a classic technique used in draping and I wanted to include them throughout my collection. In this dress, I decided on one larger cowl that would wrap around the base dress and end at the center-back closure with a handkerchief drape for some drama, finishing it off with an invisible zipper back closure.
The third look was inspired by a love full of joy, abundance, and health—the love everyone wants and strives for. I created this bustier crisis coss top by draping and layering 2-inch strips of double-faced satin and lightweight sable fabrics. I finished the top with a snap and neck tie closure. For the skirt, I created a basic base with a side seam closure and waistband. I constructed three tiers of large cowls using rectangular drapes that added dimension and abundance, attached with large snaps.
The fourth and final look in this collection embraces an innocent love, the first love, a love you don't realize is true love. This love is simple, easy, and a force of new feelings. I wanted this look to be fun and flowy, therefore I used the textile manipulation of knife pleats again but this time on a double-faced woven vest. I hand-sewed each strip of pleats onto the vest and paired it with a long-sleeved v-neck top. Lastly, I made a pair of trouser pants with two layers of side drapes and a front zipper closure with a waistband.
