Anxiety Nouveau
Fibers | PhotographyModel: Kaily Doody
Anxiety Nouveau is a physical representation of my journey of anxiety through three dresses influenced by the late 1800s art and design era Art Nouveau. I took heavy inspiration from the artist Alphonse Mucha after seeing an exhibit of his work at the NCMA. I used his work to derive colors, textures, patterns, and use of fabric to guide my construction.
Look 1
My first look represents the depression and weighted feeling of sadness that anxiety played in my life. I used dark colors and metal chains to represent these negative emotions that drag me down.
Look 2
While I denied my anxiety diagnosis at first, it did open up a new world to me, in both good ways and bad. My second look is meant to evoke the blossoming effect of opening up myself to the healing and treatment that could begin.
Look 3
The third look shows my growth and progress towards coping with my disorder. The excessive jewels represent the weight of anxiety is still present, but their placement and use shows that I’m learning how to deal with its effect on my mental well-being. The opening in the back of the silk jacket mimics the subtle one in view at the front, revealing the beads of anxiety and the skin of the person underneath, respectively. These elements demonstrate that I’m comfortable sharing this personal struggle because it’s a permanent part of me.
Process
Anxiety Nouveau and the Fibers class I developed it in was the best way to end my senior year. I had the chance to take a break from graphic design for a semester and work with my hands in a medium I loved. It was often confusing and stressful at times – though I can’t imagine the pressure the Art2Wear participants must’ve felt – but I had a lot of fun learning how to sew and manipulate fabrics; it’s something I’ll carry with my for the rest of my life.