Body destruction through E. coli

For the past few months I‘ve been working on a project that aims to make the invisible visible; that demonstrates a bacteria, which insidiously eats into the organs of the body and destroys it from the inside. E.coli - a malignant bacteria that affects our body and can even lead to death. Primarily this occurs in developing countries where health care frequently can't be adequately covered and people often do not have access to clean water. Water in the UK can contain traces of it as well, yet, in a form that does no harm to a healthy immune system. With very few distinctive issues currently dominating the news, I wanted to once again emphasise something that has been an equally pressing problem for a long time - malnutrition, high mortality among young children, bad healthcare. Yet, these issues quickly fade into the background. Inspired by @charitywater an organisation that implements community-owned clean water projects where needed, I started to think about the conversion around these pressing issues: What is water for us? How do we manage our water resources? How could water harm us? How can we shield from water - be it in the context of floods, diseases or else? These questions led me to create a mackintosh, including both a sewn-on and a detachable hood. The detachable hood can be converted into a small bag, which allows you to carry utensils in. The fixed hood can be predominantly used for rain protection. The lower part of the coat opening is supposed to imitate the bacterium. As E.coli can show on people's skin, this was my attempt to provoke and demonstrate this outer visibility. Working on this project once again emphasised the importance of conducting proper research and (more than) adequately familiarising yourself with the field of interest before carrying it out. Anyone who knows me a little knows that sewing is not my biggest asset. Due to the lockdown, I had to teach myself a lot at home which, in the beginning, didn't particularly make my love of sewing stronger. In retrospect, however, I am grateful for it. By dealing with my weaknesses, I was able to turn some of them into strengths and develop a prototype.