Out of the closet.
Hoe in kleding de gelaagdheid van onze identiteit wordt weerspiegeld
Januari 2016
The past time I went looking for the layering of one's identity. In the media and on the street, we are used to see a quick image from each other and that's how a limited and prejudice idea starts. Someone does not have a single identity but someone has multiple versions of itself. Each piece of our clothing has a certain symbolic value that we position ourselves with. I have researched this by looking at the different outfits that women wear in Rotterdam North for different moments. The quick judgment on street differs of the personal stories next to the wardrobe at home.
The 5 women I have talked with next to the wardrobe are different in age, origin, religion, job, character and therefore representative of the district. It is striking that their reasons for the diversity in clothing are determined by several factors. It depends on the religion, location, social groups, the season or the state of mind of the person. I translated the personal layering from the stories of the women into textile prints. This makes the circle, from clothing to identity to textile prints and back to clothing, ungoing. The goal is to take textile prints to a higher level where the content comes from the people themselves and it represents their versatility.
This project is made for the minor Cultural Diversity at the Willem de Kooning academie. If you are interested in the whole research of project, email me and i can send you the researchbook.
Compilation of the wardrobe talks i had:
I ended up printing Laila’s story on the textile. I did this because her identity is the most diverse and the best example of multi identity. In this print are the parts of the henna dress, the bridal gown for guest, the dress of the bride, the jeans, a normal head cloth and caftan. Also, I have used the combination green and white because it is a traditional color combination in the Moroccan bridal fashion.
The contents of the prints are constructed by parts of garments. Like a collage details come together in a picture which repeats as a pattern. Each part comes from one garment that one is one identity of one women. That is why the one print has more different and you can read how diverse it someone her identity is. I want to make it clear that the quantity does not affect the person. It is not my intention to put down someone like a less, it is only a translation of my research.
From left to right: Sylvia, Ellen Claire, Fadumo, Kitty and Laila
Expo
21 Januari was de exposition of our minor Cultural Diversity. We all presented our work with a background in Social design.