IG: @perishxprosper

Perish The Thought

I make wearable art pieces for a theoretical world where the feminine body is not preyed upon or forced to contort itself to set standards of modesty and decorum. Through a collection of garments that expose and abstract the silhouette, I offer alternatives to liberate the feminine body from what is considered acceptable dress.

Bulk is added throughout the collection utilizing methods of cording, trapunto, and heat set polyester to make repetitive voluminous abscesses. The silhouette of the garments are form-fitting with spikes and gathered elements that add volume to the body. Shapes within the pieces reference historical garments used to control the body, like corsets; and for liberation like chaps.
Our bodies are controlled by set laws and cultural standards. Influenced by the dominant male gaze which views the feminine body as a sexual object. I expose the body as an act of rebellion and reclamation. Striving for greater acceptance of diverse presentations of the human form.

Bio

Parrish Kirchoff is an experimental textile and fashion designer/ artist, born and raised on the southern border of Maine. Coming from a multi-generational line of creatives, schlepped in and out of art museums as a child, Kirchoff was raised to make. She is drawn to the grotesque & taboo elements of life and approaches them with tenderness pulling inspiration from her lived experience. Kirchoff’s current practice involves utilizing methods of pattern drafting, embroidery, knitting, 3-D heat setting, silkscreen prints, cyanotype, and dyeing to add visual interest to the outcome of her three-dimensional pieces.