‘Fragile Armour’ is a deeply personal graduate fashion collection that delves into my journey with my body image and strength. I grew up with a condition formally called Pectus Excavatum, in which my ribs grew inwards limiting space for my heart and lungs. My sunken ribs caused significant distress in my teenage years and massively affected the way I viewed clothes. I loved fashion. but I used it as an armour to hide my body instead of celebrating it. Since having a complex surgery in 2019, I have grown to love my body and the way fashion allows people to express themselves through clothing.
Drawing inspiration from the beautiful fragility of pressed flowers, a practice I loved as a child, I used fabric manipulation and layered sheer fabrics to create garments that make the female form akin to a pressed flower. Modular design allows the wearer to have agency in how they dress and express themselves. The collection aims to reflect the interplay between identity, perception, and self-expression; transforming perceived vulnerabilities into strengths.
