Aaron

This project draws inspiration from the life and image of Empress Elisabeth of Austria—commonly known as Empress Sisi—reimagining her legacy through a contemporary lens. Sisi’s story, marked by beauty, restraint, rebellion, and myth, becomes a foundation for exploring the tension between public image and private emotion. Using references from historical dress, romantic symbolism, and fabric manipulation techniques such as flower smocking, the collection blends softness and structure to reflect the dualities in her character. Delicate details and ethereal silhouettes are used to evoke a sense of fantasy and longing, while also questioning how femininity has been constructed and performed throughout history. The result is a body of work that sits between the past and present — poetic, emotional, and quietly powerful.