force of nature
This piece was created by the designer for Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania’s annual Earth Day Fashion Show. Each year, designers are asked to create within a theme using unconventional or up-cycled materials. Force of Nature being the theme for the 2018 show, Julianne thought of the Divine Feminine - the synchronicity between the Universe, women and creation - and the forces that try to silence it. Julianne sees undeniable parallels in the relentless suffocation of all things feminine, and the most violent aspects of our global society. Patriarchy, toxic masculinity, racism, war, hate crimes and the destruction of our planet’s resources are all rooted in the failure to find value in femininity. Despite the violence, the sun rises, Earth turns, and women continue to love, create and resist. This resistance and resilience, to the designer, is the ultimate Force of Nature.
This dress was created using dried sheets of poured acrylic paint, sewn to a mesh base.
Photographer: Michelle Kappeler