SYMBIOSIS

 SYMBIOSIS

FASHION COLLECTION AND PERFORMANCE FOR BUMBERSHOOT MUSIC FESTIVAL 2024

In the summer of 2024, I was invited by Bumbershoot Music Festival to design and produce a collection and fashion show performance for their Fashion District programming. I designed a seven-piece collection of futuristic garments inspired by spacesuits combined with nature, and created a 25-minute stage performance to present the garments within a narrative context.

SYMBIOSIS explores the relationship between human beings and nature in a future where humans on Earth must wear protective environmental suits as daily clothing. Humans wander the seemingly alien landscape of future Earth, clad in layers of spacesuit-like garments which provide breathable air and protection from their toxic environment. Organisms evolving to survive in the new atmosphere of Earth cling to the exteriors of the humans’ suits, making use of any escaping heat, air, or moisture. The organisms process the toxicity of the environment through their bodies, and the humans in their suits provide a habitable surface for them to grow on. Together, they thrive in an otherwise uninhabitable world.

THE PERFORMANCE

The story is set 400 years in the future, several generations since the Earth’s environment became too toxic to sustain life, forcing humanity to leave Earth and look for a new home world. After searching through space and failing to find a suitable new planet, we now want to return home. We have started sending Explorers back to see if Earth is habitable again.

The main character in our story is one of these Explorers. Two others were sent before her, but were never heard from and presumed lost. Our Explorer discovers that these missing Explorers did in fact land on the planet, and are now Symbiotes: in their suits, they have become hosts for natural organisms that have evolved to survive in the toxic environment while we’ve been away. The Explorer also meets the descendants of the people who were left behind when most of humanity left Earth 400 years ago. These survivors are called The Adapted. They have merged with nature in a symbiotic relationship and can survive without closed environmental suits. Vestigial remnants of their ancestors’ suits (valves, helmet shaped collars, technical details, etc.) now appear as ornamentation on their clothes. The story ends with The Adapted helping The Explorer start the process of fusing with nature.

Our wonderful cast included 6 dancers and 1 actor, all telling the story of SYMBIOSIS through movement and dance. The soundtrack for the piece consisted of 90’s trip hop songs that framed the performance with an introspective feel. The piece opened with a video prologue explaining the background of the story and showing The Explorer arriving at Earth.

(Video of performance coming soon.)

THE COLLECTION

The collection consists of seven spacesuit-inspired looks that correspond to characters from the story. Design details evoke the visual language of science fiction and real world spacesuits, such as pleating around joint areas, valves and harness-like strapping, and collars that evoke the base of a helmet. Floral motifs on the two Symbiotes’ suits represent nature embracing them, and a bright sorbet color palette conveys hope, optimism, and the energy of life flourishing. Materials reflect a fusion of fashion and technology in this work. The main fabric used is iridescent dupioni silk, a high end fashion fabric with an otherworldly multicolor sheen that is both luxurious and futuristic.

Other iridescent elements were created by 3D printing hundreds of “barnacles” in translucent multicolor filament. These were sewn onto the garments and set pieces to show the natural organisms flourishing on the surfaces of the garments and the environment. 3D printing was also used to create custom valves and buckles, headpieces, and flexible geometric appliqués. While I had been working on the idea and designs previously, this collection was built in two months with the help of a wonderful group of friends and colleagues who joined my SYMBIOSIS team.

CAST & CREW

BEYOND BUMBERSHOOT

FEATURED IN THE STRANGER
After its initial performance at Bumbershoot Music Festival in August 2024, SYMBIOSIS was featured in the Arts & Performance issue of The Stranger. The collection was displayed as an installation at the launch party for the issue, held at Common Area Maintenance Gallery in Pioneer Square.

DISPLAYED AT THE MUSEUM OF FLIGHT
SYMBIOSIS was invited to be a part of Fashion In Flight, a fashion show produced by Northwest Fashion District and held at The Museum of Flight. The collection was displayed as an installation for the evening event and viewable to the public through the weekend.