Eco Fashion
We only have one Earth
AP Portfolio
My sustained investigation is about the harm of fast fashion towards human health, ecosystems, environment, and Earth as a whole.
Ethylene Bra
September 2023
21 x 9 x 5.5 in
Wire, Paper Mache, Clay
I wanted to make a piece out of a chemical molecule structure that is sprayed on clothes. After studying different chemicals, I found that ethylene looked like a bra top, so that is just what I did. Ethylene is a monomer used for polyester production. This means that it is in polyester clothing, which then can irritate your skin, lungs, nervous system, and brain. To further express my interest and passion for harmful chemicals, I reused A Silent Spring by Rachael Carson from a previous project and used it to paper mache the bra top. I love this factor because if you read the bra, you are learning about chemicals and how they are harming the environment. This was my first time doing paper mache and I found the process very simple and repetitive.
Reproductive Damage Underwear
October 2023
9 x 5 x 3 in
Fabric, Canvas
For this piece, I wanted to highlight that the chemicals in fast fashion clothing are associated with reproductive damage, though not many people know it. On few clothes, there are tags warning people of this issue, so I wanted to make it larger to see, yet still hidden. The process for this piece took some trial and error with printing on the canvas. The underwear itself was all hand sewn and made from recycled fabric.
PFC Fingerless Gloves
April 2024
6 x 4.5 x 1.5 in
Recycled copper
With this piece, I wanted to emphasize that we are what we wear. Chemicals touching our skin (our largest organ) is and will be absorbed. PFC is a chemical used to make fabrics water and stain resistant, though they can cause changes to the immune system and affect enzyme levels. Putting the chemical structure on the palm emphasizes just how harmful PFCs are because palms are one of our most sensitive areas. Using recycled copper allows for a distressed look, also providing line, texture, and depth.
Suffocated
March 2024
5.5 x 4 x 8 in
Pantyhose, acrylic paint, pins, sewing
Throughout my sustained investigation, with the more and more research I have been doing, I have been feeling more helpless with the topic of sustainability. Feeling like I am blinded to the truth and that what I say or express can’t make that much of an impact, I was drawn to make a project about it. With much trial and error with different paints of methods of painting, I was able to get the pantyhose to be a dark red color. The line in the project from the pantyhose and the thread leads the eye down an endless path, adding to the emotion of the piece.
Fur Choker
February 2024
14 x 5 x 1 in
Faux fur, wire, beads, sewing
This necklace shows the harm of the fur industry, though making my project look more contemporary shows how fur is still viewed as a positive sign of wealth. This project took much revision with which beads I used, how I should sew on the beads, and adjusting the wire collar. Making the wire collar by hand was my first step for this project especially because I was standing by the fact that I wasn't going to be purchasing anything new for my sustained investigation. Working with all of the different materials was a struggle to make everything lay right and look good, though with much manipulation I was able to do so.
Leaf Skirt
December 2023
16 x 11 x 1 in
Scrap fabric
This skirt has a little over 200 leaves of scrap fabric sewn on, representing the 200 million trees that are logged each year for wood fiber fabric production. I hand sewed each leaf on the base skirt, also made of scrap fabric. The pattern, texture, and organic frayed edges all add to each other, making the skirt very visually pleasing. Though the process was very repetitive, the skirt does not come off as repetitive due to the wide range of fabrics.
Benzene choker
November 2023
7.5 x 7.5 x 1.25
Scrap metal and glass
This necklace exactly represents the structure of a benzene molecule. Benzene is a chemical used to make synthetic fabrics. The chemical is incredibly harmful for it you breath in too much, it can lead to unconsciousness or even anemia. This affects the workers making fast fashion clothing immensely because they are handling the chemical in mass amounts. This piece visibly and physically shows how harmful the chemical is with the prongs stabbing at the throat when worn. The process was very long for I had to glue each metal piece one by one, day by day