Concrete Patchwork

I had the honor of designing the outfit for Bel McLaughlin’s thesis performance this past summer, as they completed their studies with ArtEZ University of the Arts.

This suit falls into an ongoing series of patchwork ‘chimeras,’ which blend old garments into new forms, reworking the gendered scripts that apparel carries. This piece encapsulates sportswear, a polo shirt, an 80’s blouse, and sheer tactical mesh. The hybridized textile is designed for a semiotic of multiplicity, while the unifying grey and silver palette was selected as an extension of the concrete environment of the performance and the flute.

I absolutely love collaborations like this. We were in dialogue about the design for over a year as the performance developed, book-ended by tattoo trades. I’m happy to finally get to share the results.

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