Tilde Herold, MA graduate of the Royal Danish Academy, wants to reclaim power dressing from a female perspective. Whilst the term has been used for women adopting male attire to assert authority in male-dominated spaces since the ‘70s and ‘80s, Herold believes that the term reinforces the idea that power is still synonymous with masculinity. To explore power dressing from a female perspective, and to rid the female body of a sexualising gaze, Herold started exploring the plastic bag as an abstraction of neutral shape. The collection emerged from this point, in a dialogue between the designer as a woman, the female body, and the concept of the plastic bag. Each garment originates from the bag’s construction with variations in width and length, as well as adding elements like a crotch. As such, the collection is an exercise in creating shape. Even the selection of materials and colours have been chosen to support the concept of shape. A deliberate clash is created between nylon and synthetic materials, chosen for their aesthetics, and the cumbersome craftsmanship used to shape the work. The synthetics are counterbalanced by silk taffeta, which, both as a refined material and its associations with elaborate gowns and femininity, tests the concept of power. The collection presents voluminous, padded and multifunctional shapes as a proposal of new female power dressing.
