modeled by: Lydia Magiannis, Kyle Campos, Beverly Dantz

Inspired by archived family photos from the 1970s that highlight the prominence of plaid and graphic t-shirts, I discovered that using methods of “inlay” can work to create new textile dynamics and tension, which reestablishes the remembrance of my ancestors and redefines those classic patterns and wardrobe staples from 1970s America.

Both plaid and the physical makeup of a woven fabric represent connections and transitions. This project highlights these semiotics at a deeper level, calling out my documented family relationships and questioning the transition of generations as these images are interpreted in more subtle and graphic ways. Through research and materiality exploration, this project showcases “inlaying” the images through hand-woven plaids and other hand-woven renderings of the original photographs with careful consideration of locally sourced, and in some cases, recycled materials. Although many colors and fabric choices were a direct response to the clothes worn in the archived images, silhouette outcomes were primarily a result of the relaxed mood of the photos as well as '90s music and fashion inspirations, creating a more contemporary feel and highly comfortable, gender-neutral garments.