I initially set out to learn more about Marie Antoinette, her influence on fashion and her ability to remain relevant almost three hundred years later. However, instead I found diary entries, public scandals and rumours about her alleged lesbian affairs with her closest ‘friends’. Feeling deeply connected to this element of her life, I was inspired to study the secret lesbian lives of famous royal women, which then inevitably led me to the underground lesbian revolution in Paris. My collection was influenced from these stories and the result is garments which are designed with feminine characteristics, yet finished with masculine materials and finishes. With the historical context in mind, this collection is designed for people who dominate queer communities, women and men aged between 20-30, likely gender fluid, pansexual or bisexual. The client is likely to be interested in the house ballroom scene, a subculture which was born in the 1970’s credited to the black and Latinx gay, trans and queer communities who created a space where they could be themselves. Another interest of my target customer would likely be holistic healing, likely spiritual healing through reiki, meditation and other forms of energy therapies. The collection addresses a niche area and solves the problem my target customer has, in presenting garment pieces which reflect high end fashion at a lower market cost, without becoming fast fashion. The collection pieces are appropriate for ballroom runways, however, can could also be recognised as wearable fashion. The collection is built with experimental pieces and would not be considered fast fashion.
