Dichotomy

Abstract

<p>Dichotomy is one of the creative outcomes of a research project that aims to examine the physical and conceptual relationship between dress and body in various socio-cultural contexts and ultimately to define the ways in which dress is established based on different perceptions of body in terms of meaning and form. This design project focused on capturing the visual dynamics and formative balance by a marriage of antithetical design elements in one garment: 3-dimensional body-conforming vs. 2-dimensional body-defying shapes, fixed vs. transformable, revealing vs. concealment, and finally West vs. East. Visual weights of each element were carefully measured and strategically placed to achieve symmetrical balance within extreme asymmetry. Another design principle for Dichotomy was versatility of the shape. The left side of this dress transforms into a variety of shapes and sizes by adjusting the volume of gathers with a drawstring inserted on the top edge.</p>