SpLiT iDeNtItEs

In a world where we have to wear multiple identities to survive, staying true to ourselves becomes a challenge. I grew up multicultural in a maximalist city. I was always exposed to too much of everything, this makes me constantly seek a balance between traditional and modern, indigenous and outlandish, organic and structured. The struggle and comfort of living between these identities inspire my practice. The rise of the living crisis and eye-watering international fees made me realise that I should keep an eye out for free stuff. Throughout the course, I have been collecting scraps from swap shops, dead stock fabrics in Walthamstow Market, and even bins in the fashion studios in uni. I built up a mix of lightweight jerseys in warm tones that remind me of the sun, and tropical fruits, anything that fulfils my lack of vitamin D. There’s a lot of pleating involved. Pleats represent the complex, layered personality of a human being. Some are very organic, intensely pleated surfaces and some are quite tailored and clean drapes. I would wrap a piece of fabric around myself as much as I can and come up with new ways to avoid wastage. I am blessed with a South Asia heritage which has massive archives of clothing and jewellery that haven’t been shared with the world. One such story is about how colonized women were forced to cover their breasts with ill-fitted blouses in the name of modesty. The constant debate between what women ‘want’ to wear and what they ‘have’ to wear gives me a lot of room to explore. Fashion can be frivolous and exclusive but we all wear clothes. So regardless of who wears the garment, anyone can relate to it, appreciate it or despise it. I only want the wearers to be unapologetic in their own identities. Words by Pinanki @pinanki_here