I’ll pass, thank you.

Motivation

Based on ongoing experiences with hostility, especially in public spaces, due to perceived deviations from a traditional image of masculinity, „I‘ll pass, thank you.“ aims to reveal the constructed nature and ambivalence of gender-specific clothing.

Concept

Through subtle interventions in familiar silhouettes and clothing stereotypes, the gender-specific readability is challenged, and the attractiveness of this hybrid indistinctness is emphasized. The collection seduces with its familiar grace, subtly undermining visual habits and gender roles by revealing the subversive nature of the familiar garments only upon closer inspection and in their details. Strongly inspired by the social phenomenon of passing, I see wearability and desirability as means to reach the widest possible audience and simultaneously spread my intention to break open the concepts of masculinity and femininity.

Design & Development

As instruments and signifiers of distinct gender identity, I rely on the use of underwear, especially bras and underpants in a variety of forms, to evoke direct and unmistakable associations. Additionally, the central and masculine-connoted archetype in my collection is the classic men‘s shirt and its traditionally sophisticated finishings and silent symbolism. The leitmotif for the textile manipulation and dyeing process is change from within, emerging from the textile itself. Topstitched pleats and pintucks, traditionally considered decorative elements in classic formal menswear, serve as tools for an additional layer of hybridization and trompe l‘oeil effects. To achieve the transformation of color from within, I exclusively use natural dyes, which, due to their natural chemical reaction processes, change the dye from within through post-treatment. The resulting color gradation occurs completely autonomously, without any ability to influence the coloration.