Abigail Scurr
The Girl is Not Your Oyster
The concept is inspired by women and their natural ability to nurture the Earth. As plant life plants seeds back into the soil they inhabit, women plant seeds of their own. The power and strength they convey has been passed down to each generation, which can be traced back to the original ancestor, Mother Gaia. Over time, the true beauty of women has been lost and taken advantage of. Victims of the male gaze, female figures in Greco-Roman Mythology are often depicted in sculpture and portraiture nude or barely clothed. The objectifying of such is seen in Sandro Boticelli’s The Birth of Venus where Venus, or her Greek alternative Aphrodite, is presented out of the ocean nude in a clam shell, as if she was a pearl being presented as a gift.
Elegant draping on soft, feminine and natural silhouettes elevates the historical muse which were all worshipped for their natural form. Juxtaposing this with the negative space translated into cut outs challenges the male gaze; “My body, my choice.” Colour taken from the waters of our planet and elements within them – rich core colours with impactful accents. Fabric will be light, drape well and comfortable against bare skin. Gathering, smocking and pleating will create surface texture to replicate the beauty of the sea that legends reside in.
The aim is to create a collection of metaphorical armour where something soft and feminine is not perceived as weak.