Final year project
Ethereal armour (2020) [Read more]
Ethereal armour (2020)
Material: Bed-sheets, curtain fabric, cleaning rags, buttons, poppers, zips, wire, corset boning and elastic.
In reviving material used and donated by many women, this dress transforms into a metaphor of sisterhood, solidarity and empowerment. Mimicking 'transformative growth' through physical transformations when interacted with, the dress exerts authority and dominance as a hidden voice is revealed.
Eyes up (2020)
The weapon - a form of Craftivism, the embroidered underwear breaks the silence that is central to women's history. Spoken language and pronouns confront the predatory gaze and challenge issues of consent exposing the viewer of their abuse of power, whilst becoming a liberating tool for the wearer and expressing freedom of speech.
Mind your hands (2020)
Assault, the micro-practice of the everyday is something that needs to be stopped everyday. In redesigning warning signs within a feminist discourse it challenges violence against women is an issue of the everyday that needs to be brought to the political foreground. Embedded goddess imagery depicts women as the hazard and a powerful force, warning predators that their will be consequences for their desires.
Ethereal armour corset (2020)
Alluring the male gaze, the corset appears as an interactive toy only to transform into a threatening weapon. Shunning the eyes of it's viewer as it's seductive nature is replaced by the authoritative presence of the wearer.
The underwear evening gown (2020)
Material: Underwear, thread, zips and mesh gloves.
Demonstrating sisterhood and solidarity in the unification of women's underwear transformed into an elegant evening gown, this dress becomes an empowering garment and armour as the wearer is supported by the lives of many women.
Curtain dress (2020)
Material: Curtain fabric, poppers, hooks, buttons and thread.
The playful nature of hanging vines and undoing mechanism invite the viewer to interact with this deceitful garment. Envisioning a puzzle, it becomes a tool of trickery as the viewer is confronted with authoritative statements and facts to expose them of their abuse of power.
Power through language - Workshop (2020)
Using materials donated by women, I invited victims of assault to come together to discuss their experiences and help them determine self empowerment through language and craft. Creating an environment to revive their voice and together demonstrating the power of solidarity.
Millie Barrow
Through dress making, I create armour that transforms victims of sexual assault into an empowered ethereal beauty.
To be rendered voiceless is to be dehumanized, this lies at the centre of women’s history and violence against women. My garments become a weapon that transforms victims of sexual assault into an empowered beauty with a dominating voice. The interaction of undoing, allures the predatory male gaze, only for them to be shunned and dismissed by the ruling voice of the wearer embroidered on underwear critiquing issues of consent and violence against women.
Ethereal Armour is the first piece of armour to be worn by a victim. It marks the beginning of a journey to create for an army of women who are fighting to regain their voice within a battle of violence against women.
Dissertation
Feminist performance art and its re-enactments: Examining the evolution of feminism through artistic re-enactments
Final year project
Ethereal armour (2020)
Awards
'20 Diploma in Professional Studies
Placements
September 2018 - March 2019
Art Teacher , SEK International School, El Castillo, Madrid.
March 2019 - September 2019
Volunteer - Classroom assistant and community workshop organizer. , Queens Park Art Centre