A Letter of Shared Skin is my personal interpretation of me and my mothers journey through

accepting our atopic dermatitis, and bringing to light the sensitivity of

what is truly hiding underneath our epidermis.

 

It all started with a letter, a letter of shared skin, where my mom wrote to me about her experiences with her atopic dermatitis and how it affected her life. She talked about the hardships and different stories that shaped her but in this letter one specific story stood out to me. She talked about this one  night before my big dance performances ; as she slipped into my ballet tutu scratching and itching it into place. Little flaky red blotches had appeared all over  my skin. She recalled me looking at her and bursting into tears. What she did not recall is me looking at her as she said “ I am so sorry that this is the one thing I passed down.” I think about this often, but no longer do i want to see it as a bad thing, it's actually a beautiful thing that we have something in our skin that bonds us in our experiences through life. A Letter of Shared Skin is about taking back the thing that once made me self conscious. What once controlled how I felt and even what I wore does not hold the same power over me as it once used to. It's for my mother to show her that I am proud to share our skin eczema covered and all. 

 

The letter of shared Skin brings Eczema and dermatological conditions to the forefront of beauty. Atopic dermatitis has been passed down in my family for generations, and is part of who I am, even though it has not always been positive in my life. I want to show others like me that we are not alone, and that skin conditions are nothing to be shamed by. I took inspiration for textiles from one of my biggest triggers when I was younger, which was my light blush colored tulle dance costumes which would cause flaky itchy red bumps; I then knitted the tulle to be one of the major textiles in my collection. Bright Red silk represents the shedding tough skin I had to make for myself but being covered by the cream tulle showing the vulnerable outer peeling  layer. Tan leather/pleather plays back to the idea of skin showing more control with its tailoring. flesh toned body suits and crochet  gloves adorned with red, brown, and pink crystals represent acceptance and that I want to wear it like diamonds . This collection is made for autumn/winter and is my modern take on evening wear, showcasing all encompassing silhouettes that command attention while remaining feminine and a controlled sense of tailored elements.The contrasting of comfort with which knitwear is traditionally associated versus the agony of extreme, unabashed silhouettes portrays the struggle of the human body.

 

Eczema will always be in my life and that's something I cannot change but for now, I want to show myself, my mother  and others in the world with the same conditions that they have nothing to be ashamed of, because their skin shows the real and the bold truth of living. A letter of shared skin  is for my mother, because seeing her grow into her skin has been the most eye opening beautiful experience and I wish to follow right behind her in this journey. I want  to show her  that she is truly one of a kind, and she should not let anything get under her skin.