Intentions

I have decided to focus on the growth of feminism exemplified through clothing. Feminism has a broad historic background that has shown great changes in western society. Fashion has reflected these changes very vividly, for example restrictive Edwardian corsets to the loose clothes of the 1920s and male overalls worn by women in the war effort of WWII. Feminist movements are also now emerging in strongly religious cultures for example in Islamic and Muslim countries. There are new feminist icons such as Malala Yousafzai, an activist for rights to education for women and yet their mode of dress is yet to change, if at all it will.

I will also be studying and using traditional textiles techniques relating to feminine skills, such as knitting and embroidery, and try to use these methods to portray female stereotypes or the rights they are fighting for. I will be looking at artists such as Freddie Robins (who focuses on knit, and has a deep passion for feminism), Judy Chicago (who created The Dinner Party) and Caren Garfen (an artist who uses domestic kitchen and household designs that are developed into print).