PAVED PARADISE represents for the designer the realities of the world and is a reflection of how she sees herself. People and nature are echoed in the hard outer shell of the jacket and the multi-colored textured pants that focus on the wonderful “mess” we discover when we boldly take down our barriers.
“I have been participating in the seARTS wearable art shows since they started, but I usually submitted my fashion work, which is one type of wearable art. This year I wanted to do something different, a real wearable art piece. I was a bit lost on what to do, but after seeing the World of Wearable Art exhibit at the Peabody Essex Museum I was excited to really challenge myself.
I’ve always considered myself an artist and then a fashion/costume designer. The process of designing and making my Paved Paradise piece was very personal and slow, each section was inspired by how I felt that day. I knew what I wanted to say, but just how it was going to look in the end was a very stressful question mark. I knew I wanted to speak about myself and what I felt about the world in general. This beautiful mess we are and the lengths we to go cover it up with barriers and convention. Taking this leap by devoting so much time and effort into this piece helped me realize so much about myself. It helped me hash out what excited me about fashion design. I found a love for wearable art and am so excited to start the next piece. I recommend every type of artist try it out. You might be surprised!”
