VenusCONCEPT, FASHION DESIGN, PRINT DESIGN, FABRIC PRINTING, MAKING THE GARMENT, PHOTOGRAPHY
Model: Betina Mendes de AlmeidaFrom my love for astronomy, this project is inspired by the stunning work of Anna Hoetjes named Aphrodite Terra. Many (world-changing) inventions that until this day are credited to “great men”, were actually discovered by women, even as close as their wives, e.g. Lise Meitner discovered how to split atoms - but her male lab partner took all the glory. There is a great amount of work done by women, also in the field of astronomy. Venus being at the same time a planet in our solar system and the goddess of love and passion, who symbolises feminity, is the perfect bridge between science and all the female labor.
Process book, including research, print design and garment design
The form of the dress is not only supposed to resemble the flowy and delicate look of Anna Hoetjes’ piece, but also work with the beautiful female body. The dress doesn not lay on top of the body but is one with it. The cut-outs and unsual shape merge with the skin allowing the person wearing it to feel as free and graceful as the fabric itself. The dress embraces the feminity from the natural and pure side of it.
The part that took most of the time during the making of this project, was creating my own print. It took many tries and fails, using different techniques like sublimation, fabric dye, stamping but the one I discovered to work the best for my idea was using the sreen-printing paints on a wet fabric and creating the gradients with my hands.
Small try-outThe making of the printPinning the fabric to create the flowy lookFirst version of the finished dress