Maxine is an apparel design student focused in gender neutral fashion, specializing in ready-to-wear clothing that prioritizes comfort and self-expression for wearers of all genders.
Artist Statement:
Maxine’s design is a statement about greenwashing in the fashion industry, a concept that arises when companies pitch a sustainable brand image to capitalize on conscious consumers. This idea that a clean exterior masks hazardous practices, became the jumping off point for her project. Maxine created a dress and vest made of thick, white ribbed plastic. The dress stands out in a stiff A-line silhouette and is embellished with assorted white tech parts and optical wires twisted to mimic lace. Both garments were constructed through draping and hand sewing, along with hot glue for embellishments. While this design evokes a sterile appearance from its all-white palette and clean shapes, watch it transform to display the dangers of greenwashing. Maxine hopes to promote a dialogue about what it really means to be sustainable in the fashion industry, not simply capitalizing on an image of sustainability.