Strong historical references, intricate detailing and hourglass silhouettes define my brand and portray a conversation which taps into the complex relationship between Fashion and Society which has created a dialogue within clothing throughout the ages. I strive to utilise my passion for the history of dress in order to weave a rich narrative throughout every design, portraying messages concerning the modern woman.
In my graduate collection ‘The Problem of Evil’, the focus is upon issues surrounding goodness, mental health and femininity. Throughout history the concept of ‘goodness’ has always been a vital part of society, but what defines goodness? Even within a contemporary setting, the definition has a religious connotation. This calls into question the relationship between goodness and femininity, as since the Christian takeover any display of feminine sexuality has been deemed as ‘bad’ due to the power held by the women of the Pagan faith. This is something I feel very passionately about because the condemnation of women owning their femininity is not only unhealthy but also shackles women to unjust judgment of their character.
Mental health also has an undue link to goodness, especially Hysteria and Suicide. Historically, if someone died of suicide they were beheaded, staked through the heart and buried in unconsecrated ground beneath a crossroad to prevent the ‘devil’ from escaping their bodies. Though this practice is archaic and no longer in practice, the judgment surrounding these issues is still present, if not so obvious.
Cyfeiriadau hanesyddol cryf, manylder cywrain a silwét awrwydr sy’n diffinio fy mrand ac yn cyfleu trafodaeth sy’n mynd i’r afael â’r berthynas gymhleth rhwng Ffasiwn a Chymdeithas sydd wedi creu dialog o fewn dillad ar hyd yr oesoedd. Rwy’n ymdrechu i ddefnyddio fy angerdd am hanes gwisg er mwyn gwau naratif cyfoethog drwy bob cynllun, gan bortreadu negeseuon yn ymwneud â’r ferch fodern.
Yn fy nghasgliad ar gyfer fy ngradd ‘The Problem of Evil’, mae’r ffocws ar faterion yn ymwneud â daioni, iechyd meddwl a benyweidd-dra. Drwy gydol hanes mae’r cysyniad o ‘ddaioni’ wedi bod yn rhan hanfodol o gymdeithas, ond beth sy’n diffinio daioni? Hyd yn oed mewn lleoliad cyfoes, mae i’r diffiniad gynodiad crefyddol. Mae hyn yn cwestiynu’r berthynas rhwng daioni a benyweidd-dra, oherwydd ers i’r Cristnogion gymryd drosodd mae unrhyw arddangosiad o rywioldeb benywaidd wedi’i ystyried yn ‘ddrwg’ yn sgil y pŵer sydd gan y ferch o fewn y ffydd Baganaidd. Dyma rywbeth rwy’n teimlo’n angerddol yn ei gylch oherwydd nid yn unig mae’r condemniad o ferched yn cymryd perchnogaeth o’u benyweidd-dra eu hunain yn afiach ond hefyd yn clymu merched wrth feirniadaeth annheg o’u cymeriad.
Mae cysylltiad rhwng iechyd meddwl â daioni hefyd, yn enwedig felly Hysteria a Hunanladdiad. Yn hanesyddol, petai rhywun yn marw yn sgil hunanladdiad, byddai eu pennau’n cael eu torri i ffwrdd, gwayw’n cael ei gosod drwy’r galon a’u claddu mewn tir anghysegredig o dan groesffordd i atal y ‘diafol’ rhag dianc o’u cyrff. Er nad yw’r arfer hynafol hwn yn bodoli bellach, mae’r feirniadaeth sy’n gysylltiedig â’r materion yma yn bresennol o hyd, er nad yw mor amlwg efallai.
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