For the show Fashion is Art I created a line of street wear clothing with concealed
inflatable chambers. A blower hidden in a tote bag inflates the garment to reveala latex chamber.
The garments are worn as everyday clothing, allowing the wearer to create a defined personal space
by transforming the garments as needed or desired. The inflated clothes are personal and public,
self-centered and self-conscious.
The use of inflation allows the participant to have a direct and physical responseto the work.
The inflation creates an imaginary environment permitting the participant to explore and experience
their altered state of being.
The use of garments as a vehicle for my work draws on our familiarity and understanding of the basic
functions and aesthetics of clothing. Clothes are a personal statement and an element of social
classification. The latex used to create the inflated chambers is a sensual material with various
sexual, disposable and playful connotations. The material places the participant at odds with its
familiar use. Because latex is a fragile material, the wearer is acutely aware of their attire and
the latex chamber becomes an extension of the body and mind.