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Horned corsets -

bounding antelopes -

outer undergarments

of raw-edged feeling -

frayed - vulnerable - vehement -

Inside a horned corset

I burn between

wildness and constraint -

face fierce -

cinched waist -

listening to a bird

trilling to fly free -

song like my breath -

rising - falling - thrilling -

- Lottie McCrindell -
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When Brian De Carvalho found himself trapped because of the Covid-19 lockdowns, he

turned to clothes. Creating corsets destined to be worn in dingy nightclubs provided him with a sense of release and, perhaps more importantly, something to look forward to. Simultaneously inspired by the contemporary queer experience and the styles of the 18th century, he explores themes of restriction, beauty and the macabre.

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With a predisposition for the gothic, deconstruction abounds throughout the colection; unfinished hems and raw edges speak to the imperfections of the human experience, a constant reminder that beauty cannot exist without a lack thereof. Like the women once believed to be witches, skirts and dresses have been burnt - a representation of the societal restrictions we long to eschew in favour of freedom.

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It's this ability to create romantic juxtapositions that sits at the centre of the collection, Pain doesn't detract from beauty; it makes it human. Corsetry isn't romantic despite the way it restricts  the body, but because of it. Stiff silhouettes are detailed with delicate feathers, simultaneously representing physical limitation and the desired freedom of the bird.

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Presented at an abandoned warehouse, the collection ads as a reflection of its surroundings. What once was a strong building has gradually deteriorated into a site of dilapidation and disuse; similarly, each piece in the collection is primed to perfection before being subject to various methods of destruction.

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Alow yourself to chalenge the concept of perfection. Find beauty in the pain.

- Sophie Winfield -