Photos by Gerardas Anusevičius ©
Clothes aren‘t just something that we wear to look good. They tell our stories. Like the covers of books, they represent a lot of what is happening inside us. The project shows that fashion can be deeply connected with our emotions and mental states.
Referring to the cycle of life, it consists of six phases: the opening, the shaping, the bond, the descent, the transition and the ascent. The cycle is endless so there is no ending. Minimalistic atmosphere lets us focus on what is really important, while the shadows and rays of light reflect our emotional state that never stays the same. The infinite battle between darkness and light.
The opening phase refers to the beginning of something new. We wear dark, edgy clothes and we are still afraid of the dark. So, we start to open up and let the light in, we start to trust the people who surround us.
It is not an easy task though. That is when the shaping phase comes. We start to form ourselves and polish our characters in order to connect with other people, we even change our clothes to do that.
The bond happens. We find other people who we are comfortable with. We still choose them by the cover first, so we have to pick people who wear similar clothes. Then we get to know each other a little bit more. Sometimes, to a point, when we can get more naked – wear less clothes and talk more.
However, we can‘t always pretend to be happy. And that is when the descent phase begins. We slip, we fall, everything seems to be going down. We want to hide in our clothes. They even restrict our movement.
We come to a point when we do something we shouldn‘t have done. We could swear, we are not sinners, we are just beautifully broken. And yet we judge ourselves and pray until the transition phase passes.
Everything passes. Once we realize that, we feel the calmness and the harmony of the world around us which leads us to the ascent. Since we have to get up and ascend, we have to wear lighter clothes that make us feel free.
In the end, what we wear represents our inner selves, our sins and expiations, the shapes and shadows of our minds and alter egos.
Photographer – Gerardas Anusevičius
Designer – Jurgita Rapkevičiūtė
Hair stylist – Egidija Gestautaitė
MUA – Justina Baublytė (Pale Rat Makeup)
Models – Karolina Juškaitė, Deimantė Ardinskaitė
Location – National Art Gallery, Vilnius, Lithuania
