Rae Newton

My dress is a visual representation of the consumption of clothing within the fashion industry this is shown through the volume of the dress and how it consumes the model. We now buy clothing at the same rate as we restock on our weekly food shops and is not healthy for our bank accounts or our planet. I chose the dress to be purple to show the amount of money we waste on clothing for a one-time purchase and not wear it again I focused on dresses because women spend the most on dresses for a party or special occasion only to be worn once because of the stereotype of not being able to wear the same outfit twice or you will be shamed this concept is shown in many teen movies, so we are taught from a young age to buy clothing rapidly.

I was heavily influenced by Giambattista Valli and Vitor & Rolf for their huge tulle dresses I loved the way they sit on the model and consume their figure I wanted to replicate that however, I used cheaper tulle so it was less floaty and more firm which meant it kept it shape which I preferred when making my design because this way I could create these lovely swirls within the fabric. I used tulle fabric because it’s trending with haute couture for 2021. I was also influenced by Alexander McQueen and how their brand shows off their new collections through film on their YouTube account these videos are no longer than five minutes but show you how their clothing moves on the model and are quite beautiful, so I chose to do the same with my dress on a high street so in the background I have people consuming clothing they do not need but want.

After I had finished creating my dress, I spray painted the stencils onto a bed sheet as a backdrop for my photoshoot which had slogans, I took from websites which pressure people into buying more clothing.

Check out my art Instagram account for more images and progress of the dress @rae.art19