My Bachelors Thesis/Project is a three-piece Digital Fashion Collection, reinterpreting traditional costumes of countries with queerphobic laws. Traditional costumes represent national identity. Countries like Hungary, Poland or Russia often discriminate against and exclude queer people from being part of their society. My aim was to reinterpret those traditional costumes so that they include and reflect queer identities and people as part of the country. On top of that I combined the outfits with a specific social issue/topic that is important for the queer community, like Visibility, Equality and Liberty. To create patterns that look organically and not repetitive I used midjourney AI. This allowed me to create abstract patterns that are inspired by national colors and embroidery without copying them.
Each Outfit can be worn through an Augmented Really Snapchat Filter. If you want to try them out yourself just search for »Hungary Queer« — »Poland Queer« or »Russia Queer« in the Snapchat Filter Library.
Music:
Bird Flex — Bonkers Beat Club
Need it — Duckmaw
Licensing via Epidemicsound
Each Outfit can be worn through an Augmented Really Snapchat Filter. If you want to try them out yourself just search for »Hungary Queer« — »Poland Queer« or »Russia Queer« in the Snapchat Filter Library.
Music:
Bird Flex — Bonkers Beat Club
Need it — Duckmaw
Licensing via Epidemicsound
Visibility — Based on traditional clothing of Hungary
Visibility is the topic I chose for the digital fashion outfit that merges Hungarian traditional clothing with queer identity and colours. The Hungarian government passed a media law in 2021 restricting information about lgbtqia+ people in the media and books effectively censoring them and their identity. This is not only discriminating against queer people who live in Hungary now, but makes it even harder for the coming generation to get educated or have role models who they can look up to. Seeing queer people live happy and normal lives in society is what normalises the topic. Queer Visibility is what Viktor Orbán is actively fighting against. The inspiration came from a traditional gown that features countless pleated underskirts. The pants were inspired by another traditional outfit that featured tights with tiny nubs on them.
Creative AI Patterns
The first pattern is a mixture of an eye as a symbol for visibility, the colors of the national flag of Hungary and the colors of the rainbow flag all made into an embroided look. The second one is a mixture of typical national floral embroidery and the colours of the rainbow flag. Most national costumes feature floral embroidery so I wanted to make my own abstract version and mix it with the topics that inspired the digital fashion outfit.
Equality — based on tradition clothing of Poland
Equality is the topic I chose for this digital fashion piece that merges Polish traditional clothing with queer identity and colours into a new hybrid. A fashion statement that combines both identities and therefore includes queer people as part of the nations identity. The inspiration was Justitia, the goddess of justice in Roman mythology who stands for justice and equality in front of the law. Polish queer people are not treated equally. The country is known for its lgbtq free zones, regions that absurdly declare themselves free of queer people.
Creative AI Patterns
Since the topic for the polish digital fashion piece is equality I decided to make an abstract version of lady justice. She carries a modern water level instead of an actual traditional scale. I wanted to use the water level as a print as well. Therefore I chose to feature the green air bubble that usually floats on top. The second print is a mixture of a traditional polish striped skirt and colours of the rainbow flag.
Liberty — based on tradition clothing of Russia
Liberty is the topic I chose for this digital fashion piece that merges Russian traditional clothing with queer identity into a new hybrid. A fashion statement that combines both identities and therefore includes queer people as part of the nations identity. The inspiration came from the statue of liberty a symbol for liberty/freedom known around the world. The topic was chosen to reflect how limited queer people in Russia are in their personal liberty to live as they are and to love who they want.
Creative AI Patterns
Blue and white porcelain motives are what inspired the print for the Russian digital fashion piece. To continue with the embroidery theme I told Midjourney AI to create an abstract emroided style of the traditional blue and white porcelain motives. The print is featured all over the long skirt that is inspired by the traditional Russian Sarafan. I found the traditional arrow shaped headress so interesting that I replicated its form all over the skirt and created puffer pieces out of it. To make the connection to the topic of liberty clear I combined the headdress with the spikes of lady liberty.
Try on via Snapchat Filter
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