ALEXA ROCCANOVA

Originally inspired by Jean Rhys’ fictional novel, Wide Sargasso Sea and its protagonist, Antoinette Cosway, my thesis started as an exploration of the duality of mental illness and the concept of being considered “crazy.” After reading the novel I was inspired by the question of whether or not one can be driven to madness. Is madness a genetic inevitability or a result of circumstance? During the beginning stages of my research I focused on the historical and modern day mistreatment of psych patients and the stigma associated with disability. I also turned to the histories of the female mentally disabled and considered how their diagnoses may have been a result of their social standing in a patriarchal society as was the situation of Rhys’ fictional character. This led me to think about what aspects of female dress are perceived as inherently female and how can these elements simultaneously be seen as threatening or dangerous?

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As my collection progressed aesthetically, I looked to the imagery of Wide Sargasso Sea: the various flora and fauna mentioned, the overall color palette, and most importantly, the emotions these elements evoke from the narrator, Antoinette. I wanted to draw from the threatening lushness of the wild environment of the West Indies. Antoinette describes it as having a certain deadly allure, which similarly is a character trait shared by many of the book’s main female characters–– the madwomen.

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The final collection will be a loose interpretation of subdued rationality and suppression of the mind vs. unrestrained thought, emotion, and imagination. The idea of physical restraint vs. freedom is translated through various garment details that allow for wearer-controlled tension and release (straps, closures, etc.). The duality of mental illness is also interpreted through abrupt color contrasting and surface applications meant to feel spontaneous and organic. My end goal is to communicate that there is beauty in an overactive mind and  an uninhibited capacity to feel and show feeling.