Madelyn Jane Sumner
VULVA
Continually providing, giving, creating, nurturing - biological female body parts are the essence of life. They are to be celebrated, and the images of them need to be destigmatised to truly appreciate and understand their complexities. My collection seeks to advocate, emulating the layers, textures, colours, and shapes of the body through garment in a way that is inviting to both the wearer and the viewer. Beyond aesthetics, this collection stimulates conversations between the wearer and the viewer about the life experiences that come with having biological female body parts, creating connection and solidarity as well as evoking feelings of excitement through discussing shared experiences. An hourglass silhouette using corsetry takes advantage of the historical reference to societal notions of ‘feminine beauty’ to emphasise a sense of power in feminine garments. Through garment, the wearer is transformed into an image of power, strength, and beauty, inspired by the character of biological female body parts.
