Artist's Statement

Central Question

How and in what ways has Feminism influenced Fashion and what statements have women made through their appearances?

In order to gain a deeper understanding of these influences, I created a photo collage timeline of the 5 decades in the 20th century that have made progress within the relationship of feminism and fashion in the US.  I researched the 1920s, 1940s, 1960s, 1970s, and 1990s to develop knowledge of how major events propelled change and innovation within fashion.

Literature

I take inspiration from Beth Hoeckel’s collages (Hoeckel).  She incorporates elements of vintage fashion in a surreal way.  I appreciate her use of colors and black and white images together and how she chooses to arrange them.  I was inspired by how she incorporates foods into her collages and used it as a theme within my 1940s collage. 

A book that has helped inform me on all of the decades is The History of Modern Fashion from 1850 (Cole and Deihl).  It goes into detail about the culture, the styles, the designers, and the progression through time, which has been a great resource in my research. The authors note how feminist power propels fashion to take risks and cross boundaries.  Progression within the women’s movement has inspired women to make statements through their clothes, and use them as a tool of rebellion.  An article that has greatly influenced my choice in decades is from the CR fashion book (Webb). The article “The Evolution of Feminist Style” informed me of some of the ways fashion has been an integral aspect of women’s movements and the pioneers of these fashion statements. 

Methods

I have been gathering my research from many various print publications, fashion magazines, articles, and books in UMD’s online library.

My creative process starts with creating a board on Pinterest with images that fit the theme and aesthetic of the collage.  I include black and white images dealing with the feminism aspect, and color images for the fashion.  I also include inspiration to help me create a concept and composition. 

Audience & Impact

​ My project is an introduction to fashion and feminism, for newly curious people, but also could help bridge the gap between people only interested in one or the other.  Many people interested in fashion may not be familiar with what feminist related events influenced these styles.  In the same way that many people interested in feminism may not be familiar with what effects they had on fashion, and how fashion has propelled various feminist ideas.  I hope that by researching and displaying the progression of their relationship through history it will inspire others to make statements through fashion or any other means that may not necessarily seem inherently activist. 

Completing this project has helped me develop my composition and collage skills greatly.  I also feel that I have learned a lot about women’s history and how various events within our society influence and connect to our artistic trends, including fashion.

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References

Cole, Daniel James, and Nancy Deihl. The History of Modern Fashion from 1850. Laurence King Publishing, 2015.

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Hoeckel, Beth. Spaghetti.

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Webb, Ali. “The Evolution of Feminist Style.” CR Fashion Book, CR Fashion Book, 26 Aug. 2020, www.crfashionbook.com/culture/a22736609/feminist-style-evolution-history/.

Acknowledgements

Thank you to my faculty advisors, classmates, and friends for helping me develop this project!