Love letters from Venus: an ode to feminine grace

Look one – the cherubic set

Corset and balloon skirt set

The cherubic set is inspired by the concept of the divine feminine. The set uses an old tablecloth, and fabric from The Nest to create a look that is reflective of Aphrodite, with white feathers used as a reference to the doves that carried her chariot. I wanted to reclaim the corset, because through once though to be restrictive, a corset can be empowering and make a woman feel more beautiful when worn by her own choice. The skirt is a bubble hem with shimmery organza lined with a pink cotton and finished with an old curtain rope as embellishment. The rope is used to represent the act of braiding ones hair, because hair braiding is something that unites women of all cultures and hair is consistently a sacred item to women worldwide.

Look two – the babydoll dress

Bubble hem empire waist dress

The babydoll micro dress is an empire waist dress with a bubble hem, made from fabrics entirely from The Nest. This dress is inspired by the regency period, as in my research of Aphrodite, I found that Greek statues were a major inspiration for the elegant regency fashion. The regency period has always been a huge inspiration for me, so I wanted to incorporate a nod to that time in this collection. Additionally, the fringing used is symbolic of the female figure Mary Magdalene, who I wanted to reference due to the fact she was continuously misrepresented by men in history, similar to how Aphrodite has been misrepresented as a symbol for sin by the church. Fringe is a religious symbol used as a reminder to obey the commandments in the bible, so I thought this was a good way to pay homage to Mary Magdalene.

Look three – the “housewife” set

Lace up tube top and bloomer short set

This set is inspired by the phrase “women belong in the kitchen,” a phrase heard over and over again to belittle women to the position of housewife in the home. I wanted to do a full 180 on this and turn an old table cloth doily into a more revealing and cutesy top. The top is similar in style to an apron as another reference to the statement, and style with pink tulle to juxtapose the white tulle you would see on a wedding veil and depict how women are so much more than just someone’s wife and mother. In styling this top with bloomers, which were an undergarment in the regency period, I wanted to show how women can reclaim their sensuality for themselves. Sensuality is something seen as a sin in the bible and a major reason Aphrodite is disliked by the church, however, sensuality is a form of empowerment and self expression, so I styled the look with an undergarment as a way to show this. I then added another kitchen doily to the shorts to fully tie the look together. The look also has an old bag strap turned belt with old pointe shoes on it. The art form of ballet is an industry dominated by women, so I wanted to pay homage to these women and show in the collection how being graceful and having poise is not a weakness, but something that takes training and hard work.

Look four – the aphrodite set

Resin top and pantaloon set

The collection is finalised with the Aphrodite set, which contains a top that has been resin set and a pair of pantaloons. The top is a gold fabric in which i draped over a mannequin and let set in resin to create a statuesque shape similar to one of a Greek statue. The top was then hole punched ton attach a sea shell chain to the back so it stays on, and then I used glue to attach shells, pearls, and gold flakes. Aphrodite was born from the foam, so shells felt like the perfect way to pay one final homage to her. The pantaloons were once again inspired by regency undergarments. Pants like these were worn under dresses, so once again seeing them out in public was deeply frowned upon. I wanted the pants to feel a bit more boxy and masculine to really juxtapose the idea of what is feminine and what is not, but then finalised them by adding ruching panels with pink ribbon. The look is completed with a belt made from old curtain rings because I wanted to keep the home motifs a running theme. Curtains are also symbolic of the segregation between the divine and the human world, and the rings are what allows the curtain to move, so their inclusion also represents a woman’s right to make her own choices and transition into different versions of herself throughout life.