EMBRAC3

Embrac3 (pronounced embrace) is the culmination of my time at ESMOD.  One of my major takeaways from Covid, was that your relationships with people and those connections are truly what life is about and anxiety affects a huge part of the population.

Weighted blankets are quite popular in the USA due to their calming, stress relieving properties. The weight distribution creates a sensation like an embrace. Weighted vests and clothing of this nature is used as a medical tool to help soothe autistic children. It has not however, been marketed to the world at large despite it being something many could benefit from. I wanted to created garments for my final collection that simulated the calming feeling of being hugged, I mean who doesn’t want a hug on a stressful day?

 I set out to create a collection of weighted clothing that not only gave the wearer a sense of calmness but also to celebrate being human. In our increasingly digital age, it seems like the line between man and machine is constantly being pushed. I decided to take a look at the amazing things which make us human and explore the microcosm which is the millions of cells which make us up as an analogy for the millions of people and connections which make up society. To me, this represented how even though one cell all by itself might not seem that important, it is intrinsic to the greater system. I also examined auras, and the energy that people give off for the visuals of my collection. Over the summer, I read the book The Aesthetics of Joy by Ingrid Fetell Lee. I was highly inspired by the book’s idea of emphasizing the power of design to foster a positive and playful environment as well as detailing some of the characteristics which are proven to provide joy. I incorporated many of these aspects into my final collection. Another visual inspiration were these heating and cooling space suits from the 70s that I saw at the Design Museum in London. I was inspired by not only their beautiful fluid lines but as well as the achievement they represent for human kind.

I created the weighted elements by utilizing weighted ropes woven into knitwear (seen in my poncho and white jumpsuit) and creating an inner weighted vest using the same manufacturing techniques as the weighted blankets for the coat.