Senior Collection 2021
Taking two parts of my life that make me, me, and turning it into something unique, exciting, and fun.
Part of my life that makes me, me, is Celiac Disease. Celiac is an autoimmune disease that attacks the small intestine when gluten is ingested, a protein found it wheat, rye, and barley. In the small intestine are small finger-like projections called “villi” which suck nutrients into the system. When the small intestine has been damaged by gluten, the villi are destroyed and become flat. I took inspiration from how the intestine swells and bloats when gluten is ingested with celiac. I experimented with oversizing and exaggerating shapes in various areas of the garments, and played around with volume and texture. I also took inspiration from the pink flesh tones of the bodily organs.
The other part of my life that makes me, me, in my dual citizenship with the United States and Norway. I have always been very close with my friends and family in Norway, as well as my Norwegian heritage. In Norway there is a garment called a “bunad”. A bunad is the national dress of Norway, worn for special events and celebrations such as the national day (May 17th) and weddings. The style of the bunad changes depending on which region of Norway the wearer is from. I am from the Østfold region of Norway (south-east) and is the top bunad on the image above. I took a lot of inspiration from the a-line silhouette of bunads, as well as their use of embroidery and materials (silk, linen, wool, and cotton).
Look 1: Knit Bloat Dress
Look 2: Bunad Pants
Look 3: Knit Lightning Bolt Dress
For my collection I worked with an Accessories Design major, Jordan Early. For the shoes, we decided to take inspiration from the traditional bunad shoe, but add more modern details.