Lea Wallkötter - Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaft Hamburg

arming the dolls – Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaft Hamburg

about me
MY WORK IS INHERENTLY POLITICAL BECAUSE SO IS MY EXISTENCE. NOT BY CHOICE BUT BY THE SOCIETY WE LIVE IN. WHEN YOUR IDENTITY, RIGHTS AND SAFETY ARE UP FOR DEBATE, YOU NEED TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT DEBATE. I TRY TO EXPRESS MY POINT OF VIEW THROUGH MY DESIGNS, GIVING TRANS WOMEN A VOICE AND CREATING AWARNESS FOR OUR STRUGGLE AND SUFFERING. I BELIEVE THAT ONLY BY EDUCATION AND A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF OUR DIFFERENT REALITIES OF A SHARED LIFE, DISCRIMINATION AND OPRESSION CAN BE STOPPED. PERSONALLY I BELIEVE THAT FASHION PLAYS A CRUCIAL PART IN THIS DIALOGUE, SINCE IT HAS HISTORCIALLY ALWAYS BEEN THE PLAYGROUND FOR REVOLUTIONS.

about my collection
MY BA PROJECT „ARMING THE DOLLS“ ANALYSES THE PROTECTIVE POTENTIAL OF FASHION FOR ALL MARGINALIZED PEOPLE; IN MY PERSONAL CASE TRANS AND QUEER PEOPLE. DUE TO THE CURRENT POLITICAL CLIMATE I FELT THE URGE TO BUILD AN ARMOR THAT HELPS NAVIGATING A WORLD FULL OF RISING DISCRIMINATION AND VIOLANCE. I BELIEVE THAT BY UNDERSTANDING AND MIMICKING THE ELITST CODES OF FASHION IN OUR CULTURE ONE CAN BUILD ONESELF SUCH AN ARMOR. IN MY RESEARCH I LOOKED BACK TOWARDS THE QUEER HISTORY OF THIS FORM OF SECURITY; SPECIFICALLY BLACK AND LATINX TRANS WOMEN AND GAY MEN OF NEW YORK‘S BALLROOM COMMUNITY, WHO WALKED IN CATEGORIES, REFERENCING FASHION ARCHETYPES OF THE DOMINATING HETERO- AND CISNORMATIVE CLASS AND THEREBY EXPOSED THEIR PERFORMATIVE NATURE. PAIRED WITH KNIGHT INSPIRED ARMOR REFERENCES AND LATEX CLUB-KID STYLING PIECES I CREATED THREE ARMORS RADIATING POWER AND PROTECTION. BUT WHAT A SAD WORLD, IN WHICH A CUNT DOLL FEELS LIKE HIDING BEHIND AN ELITIST ARMOR?!