Hi, my name is Kealia-Catherine Elemide and this collection is entitled Identity Crisis. This collection was inspired by both evaluating my previous work as well as reflecting on what I want my future to look like. My work often is intended to be a form of therapy and this work fell nothing short of that. Within my practice I work with both fashion and writing, oftentimes letting the two push and pull about who leads the story. And with this collection, it tells a personal story of my journey through life and where I find myself in it. This collection analyzes whether we are ourselves, the people we interact with, or the environments we walk through.
Oil Spill, 2023, Sequins, mesh photos by Maxine Audrey
Oil Spill pt.2, 2023, Sequins, mesh photos by Maxine Audrey
Muslin Look #6, Muslin, modeled by nia, photos by KC Elemide
Oil Spill Mood Board, designed by KC Elemide
Mock Sample of Oversized Jacket, Sourced out of scrap fabrics, photos by KC Elemide
Mock Sample of Look #6, Silk Satin, modeled by nia, photos by KC Elemide
Mock Sample of Look #5, Muslin, Wool, photos by KC Elemide
Collage, Yarn, wool, boning, modeled by Nia
Rorschach's Pink Escape, Back view of Look #4
Shredded to the core, Front and Back View of Look #2
The small pieces that build up a person. Every person is made of strands and fragments from the environment around us, and those within it. But how do we determine which part of us is real, which part of us… is us. An issue I struggle with on a daily basis, oftentimes my personality adapts to different surroundings but there are moments when I wonder, where I have gone. Have I learned to blend in so well that I hide from myself? So this collection I want to explore these different parts of me that I know. In hopes that I will somehow figure out which one is the real me.
Growing up, I focused on understanding how to gain the favor of others by showing them a perception of me I designed to their preferences. I tailored my personality, the way I walked, talked, dressed, etc… to the perfect design of what everyone would like. That was the most important thing, but somewhere during that journey, I lost a key part of myself. I have dropped my center, and I want to focus on finding it during this collection.