Games Costumes Genders Identities
The fashion designs shown here were developed by Isabel Niemann in the design seminar "Games, Costumes, Genders & Identities" under the supervision of Prof. Philipp Rupp.
The dance outfits are inspired by drag and American football and explore questions of identity. Taking inspiration from Claes Oldenburg's Soft Sculptures, the shapes of the rigid protectors used in the masculine-connoted and "brutal" competitive sport were molded. The molded shell was transformed into patterns for three-dimensional, soft details that deform, expand, and particularly emphasize the hips and shoulders of the "masculine" body in motion, a characteristic often highlighted in drag. Additionally, corset elements were incorporated that adapt to the movement of the wearers without distorting the body.
Clothing and body merge here to create new silhouettes and challenge viewers to question where the boundaries between body and costumes lie, encouraging them to interrogate stereotypes.