Inspired by the movement of “men wearing dresses”, I strive to do away with the performative and stigmatized idea that clothing is gendered. Basiel is a 12 look collection of both physical and illustrated garments involving both masculine and feminine shapes, introducing fluidity in fashion as opposed to just “gender neutral”. Basiel features custom textile designs, used to illustrate conflicting feelings of opposition, intersectionality, and socialization. The sheer, orange, topographical print represents opposition, using movement away from the predicted straight lines and intersecting to form breaks in the pattern. The dark blue design presents intersectionality through color formation and lines that intersect to create multiple colors, blurring the multiple facets of gender presentation and the ability to flow throughout them. The use of leather textile focuses on socialization through its use in restrictive garments (corset and harness), and represents the difficulty of unlearning socialized perception of clothing and who should wear it. Basiel represents the fluidity of gender expression while showcasing Isabel's illustration, design, and construction skills.
