An abject is a rejected object. It is neither subject nor object, but somewhere in between what is "me" and what is "other". Like dead hair or skin leaving the body, it creates disgust in the moment it changes from being part of "me", to being something else. You have to distance yourself from it, to preserve yourself.
Paradoxically, you have to reject yourself, to be able to create and redefine yourself.
Paradoxically, you have to reject yourself, to be able to create and redefine yourself.
Dress is like a second skin. It expresses identity, as an extension of the body. Clothes is in margin of the body. It marks the border between "one self" and "other". When you develop as a person, you change appearance and reject old clothes and identities in this transformation. Abject garments are clothing segregated and rejected from the body.
It contains only the absence of the body.
It contains only the absence of the body.
This project investigates the abjection of dress through a conceptual fashion collection and is based on Julia Kristevas Abject-theory and a perception of clothing as a second skin.
Final collection, Spring 2022, 12 weeks.
Final collection, Spring 2022, 12 weeks.
FLOOR STYLING
To activate my own passive wardrobe, I created collage-silhuettes on the floor combining my clothes in new ways.
These flat figures and the absence of the body made me think of clothing as a reflection and re-creation of identity.
They told a story about previous identities and rejected sides of self, but together they also expressed a potential for a new self.
These flat figures and the absence of the body made me think of clothing as a reflection and re-creation of identity.
They told a story about previous identities and rejected sides of self, but together they also expressed a potential for a new self.
DRESS IS LIKE A SECOND SKIN. IT EXPRESSES IDENTITY, AS AN EXTENSION OF THE BODY. CLOTHES IS IN THE MARGIN OF THE BODY. IT MAKES THE BORDER BETWEEN "ONE SELF" AND "OTHER".
(Entwistle, J. (2001): The Dressed Body)
AN ABJECT IS A REJECTED OBJECT. IT IS NEITHER SUBJECT NOR OBJECT, BUT SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN WHAT IS "ME" AND WHAT IS "OTHER".
LIKE DEAD SKIN OR HAIR LEAVING THE BODY, IT CREATES DISGUST IN THE MOMENT IT CHANGES FROM BEING PART OF ME TO SOMETHING ELSE.
YOU HAVE TO DISTANCE YOURSELF FROM IT TO PRESERVE YOURSELF.
PARADOXICALLY, YOU HAVE TO REJECT YOURSELF TO BE ABLE TO CREATE AND REDEFINE YOURSELF.
PARADOXICALLY, YOU HAVE TO REJECT YOURSELF TO BE ABLE TO CREATE AND REDEFINE YOURSELF.
The abject-concept was first coined by philosopher, Julia Kristeva, in Powers of Horror in 1980
COLLECTION OVERVIEW
The collection is built up around the concept of abjection and demonstrates three stages of the the process. From being part of the wearer and their body, to the fulfilled abjection, where the body is absent and wearability can be questioned.
The abjection is expressed differently from garment to garment: some styles leave the body, some crumble to distorted pieces and others again show alternative use or resemble a rejected second skin. For all styles the value is considered from both the perspective of a participating wearer and of an observing viewer. Thereby I aim to challenge the idea, that garments only have value, when worn on the body.
The collection is built up around the concept of abjection and demonstrates three stages of the the process. From being part of the wearer and their body, to the fulfilled abjection, where the body is absent and wearability can be questioned.
The abjection is expressed differently from garment to garment: some styles leave the body, some crumble to distorted pieces and others again show alternative use or resemble a rejected second skin. For all styles the value is considered from both the perspective of a participating wearer and of an observing viewer. Thereby I aim to challenge the idea, that garments only have value, when worn on the body.
LINE UP
Line up showcases the development towards the complete abjection.
The first looks are easy to understand and wear. During Line up the abstraction level rises and the styles become more conceptual and challenging. The use of shadows for the silhouettes, cuts and lines is flowing through the whole collection, creating coherence between the different looks. The graphic and geometric makes a counterplay against the distorted, unravelled and organic. The abjection i happening on different levels: from full looks, to garment-level to fiber-level.
The five looks just above were chosen for realisation and together demonstrates the abjection-process.
The first looks are easy to understand and wear. During Line up the abstraction level rises and the styles become more conceptual and challenging. The use of shadows for the silhouettes, cuts and lines is flowing through the whole collection, creating coherence between the different looks. The graphic and geometric makes a counterplay against the distorted, unravelled and organic. The abjection i happening on different levels: from full looks, to garment-level to fiber-level.
The five looks just above were chosen for realisation and together demonstrates the abjection-process.
