Shawn's collection has been on my mind for a while now, and I am thrilled to finally show you why.
Shawn recently graduated from Parsons with a BFA in fashion design. He grew up surrounded by active women and was influenced by their vigorous lifestyles and functional necessities. He devoted his efforts to inventive construction methods and the use of innovative materials, to advance the design and the experience of wearing.
For this collection "Two Minds, One Body" Shawn explored the complex relationship between conjoined twins and how their clothing is designed and used. Conjoined twins encounter obstacles that test their ability to function as one. Matters such as unification, equilibrium, dependency and separation fueled his thought process.
He kept the color palette rather clinical with cold tones referencing the chills of a hospital setting. The designer created embroidery, made from plastic tubing, cut to resemble pill capsules.
His garments were created to have more than one-way of getting into, challenging the wearer to find its versatility. Some of them can be worn backwards, upside-down and inside out.
My favorite is the printed green dress below, a celebration of the twins! It’s bonded silk with a photographic print of curved body parts. It has four armholes, and wraps around the body twice.
Shawn created accessories from hospital bracelets, reinterpreted through strips of pony hair wrapped around plastic. Laser cut identification codes, consisting of Braille and Morse code spell out sayings such as “linked yet divided.”
Thank you Shawn for reaching deep into this incredible concept and exploring form, function and innovative materials to achieve a brilliant collection!
Shawn Reddy can be reached at: shawnpreddy {at} gmail.com
