For my final project, I designed a garment that focused on the lack of "camp" in men's fashion due to societal norms discouraging flamboyant styles for men. I drew inspiration from Susan Sontag's 1964 essay "Notes on Camp," which includes the quote "to be natural is such a difficult pose to keep up." I noticed that even in actions such as smoking, men often go to great lengths to avoid appearing feminine, highlighting their fear of being perceived as such.
I also looked at gendered hat wear, such as the bakerboy cap, and imagined ways to exaggerate their features. I added a plethora of coque feathers to symbolize the eccentricity of exotic male birds and how the roots of "camp" can even be traced to nature.
My goal was to create a new era of men's fashion by taking inspiration from a garment worn by Henry VIII, using a black silhouette and wrapping a bold red hand around it to symbolize the embracing of ostentatiousness.
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