Benjamin McQueen-Davies

DYSMORPH

My project explored the relationship between body dysmorphia, self-perception, and the physical body through avant-garde fashion design. The brief required the creation of a cohesive final collection that demonstrated my technical and conceptual development while reflecting a clear personal aesthetic. My work was aimed at an audience seeking emotional and sensory connection through fashion rather than commercial appeal.

I considered how the fashion industry has historically promoted restrictive beauty standards and how these ideals distort body image. In response, I reconstructed traditional tailoring and corsetry to challenge these conventions. The main idea driving my design was to visualise self-deterioration and reconstruction through material form, blending vulnerability and strength.

I employed techniques such as quilting, puff-quilting, hand-dyeing, and eco-friendly textile practices inspired by my grandmother’s craft and the handloom traditions I observed in India. These processes grounded my work in tactile intimacy and small-scale production.

Ultimately, my project offered a personal yet universal commentary on body image, merging therapy, memory, and innovation. It demonstrated how fashion can move beyond adornment to become a medium for healing, storytelling, and reconnection between the mental and physical self.