I love the colour contrast of vibrant greens and bright reds, they shout "look at me". I wanted to use the drama inspired by cacti to create burlesque-style costumes. The shape and structure of the plant made me think of corsetry. For the cactus, its sharp spikes protect a vulnerable and soft interior and so my knitting reflected this armour plated body.
I chose a very soft viscose yarn and married it with nylon monofilament to give structure and shape. Pleats created a flexible fabric and wire "smocking" added a contemporary interpretation to what could have been a rather ordinary garment. The red beads interspersed within the pleats and pockets allude to drops of blood drawn when an intruder tries to gain access. A well protected corset indeed!
All images and design copyright Claire Ketteman 2009
No comments:
Post a Comment