The title of my degree project, “In Plain Sight” refers to the exploration of becoming more visible. The ostentatious presence of the business is what unifies the patterns. It asserts confidence in practice and agility in workouts. The outfits are so stimulating that we can use them in any condition. Pandemic or not, it transcends every space.

 My thesis was inspired by the image of the female body in a male-dominated world of physical activity. What began as an exploration of the camouflage transformed into an aspiration of becoming more visible. As I collected inspiration images that focused on paintings of feminine royalty from the 13th-18th century,  I noticed a recurring theme: the dresses on the queens were so elaborate, decadent and busy, that one would have a difficult time focusing on any specific area. The desire to emulate the same effect took over. Instead of a traditional gym, I yearned to create my own fantasy gym environment with ebullient patterns plastered everywhere.

     The patterns can be used in several different domains. Firstly, of course, the dream women’s gym; secondly, in our indoor, private spheres. This is particularly important in our ever-changing society affected by the pandemic. People increasingly turn to light indoor exercise instead of going to traditional gyms. During quarantine, women have the opportunity to craft their own gym space. It emulates the active space that works best for us. The area we select to work out is essentially our “gym” wherever that may be. The textiles inspire activity; it doesn’t matter where you are. 

       The patterns play an imperative role as it dictates the mood and ambience of the workouts. To compensate for the lack of equipment, we wear comfortable textiles to customize to our new indoor “gym”. We are allowed to add our own colors because the vast majority of gyms in our society have been designed for males—the colors are always red, black, white, and grey. My patterns evoke the same energy as an outdoor environment, providing sunlight during indoor/outdoor quarantine exercises. They empower women to feel their best. They are created using fluid marks of calligraphy markers and watercolor that evoke movement. The repeating patterns mimic the reoccurrence of particular body gestures during a set repetition.     

     By choosing these specific patterns, women are embracing their preferred colors. The patterns are crafted for women. It recognizes and emphasizes the strengths of the female. It creates movement for the eye to wander, highlighting the lines that naturally embrace the women’s entire body. They are engineered to celebrate the varying dynamic curvatures of each of our own unique physique.