Morbid Curiosity

I’ve always been enamoured by societies response and interactions with the concept of the macabre; Society has always held an innate fascination with death and morbidity, and in this collection, I wanted to really explore what forms this grotesque curiosity has been displayed in throughout history. Also, it was important to me to look inward for this project and explore my own reaction and relationship with death and the macabre, as a means of better understanding these broad concepts.

A key motif emerging throughout this collection came in the form of dissection and the process of revealing and uncovering processes of death for aesthetic educational and survival purposes. Patch-worked fur, patterned panels and draping resembling the forms of the human body, as well as pleating techniques were all employed as a means of solidifying and exploring this idea of revealing, uncovering and dissecting the skin. Looking deeper and reflecting on our desire to understand the most grotesque and macabre facets of death. 

Final outcome

Concept & Design Development

Inspired by societies fascination with the macabre in the form of the grotesque, this project explores the forms and contours of animal and human forms, using latex and pelts throughout the design process to obscure the form, creating unsettling silhouette and panelling as a means of exploring this morbid curiosity