I started my project inspired by a reoccurring dream of being stranded. I looked into different scenarios and places that you could get stranded; in particular the sea. I find ‘gorp-core’ an amusing concept and explored this idea of dressing over practically in everyday life and thought about how that could be pushed to extremities by designing unrealistic forms for highly unlikely situations… or at least situations that it’s unlikely you’d be wearing these clothes for! My main garment consists of pink, ripstop nylon stuffed letter forms that untie from the the body and separate out to spell SOS, as well as performing like a life jacket.
Throughout my research I came across a lot of desert Island, washed up on the beach style depictions of being stranded- Think Cast away or Blue Lagoon. I noticed very quickly how women were being hyper-sexualised even in danger; dressed in wet white T-shirts and clothes ripped in ‘convenient’ places. I wanted my piece to fit this recognisable archetype whilst subverting the sexualisation of it which is why I created a white wet look top, that instead of going see through when wet, it goes bright orange- becoming a signal for danger.
