Keith Bolling and Jennifer Burkland filming Burning Bright.
In the summer of 2017, I created a conceptual clothing line that would allow the user to have one basic piece of clothing, in this case it was a simple cotton sheath, that could be altered, by fastening different elements to it. This would allow one dress to function throughout the day and evening just by changing an overskirt or cape. After sewing the sheath, a piece of clothing that could be worn to school or work, I added discreet buttons to the waist and to the shoulders so that they could support overskirts. The video above shows how the clothing system could be worn during the day and then transform at night.
Further, I wanted to incorporate different methods of illumination into the clothing. The variety of lighting elements included applying glow-in-the- dark paint, black light paint, and integrated LED lights sewn into the fabric.
Another piece I created for this collection was a short, lined over-skirt that could button to the waist of the sheath. On the skirt front and back, I drew a birds’ eye view of a city in indelible black marker. In between the layers of fabric I sewed small, connected LEDs that glowed behind building and car windows.
The next piece was a whimsical party or evening wear look. It included a sheer, chiffon cape and tights that in daylight looked like a simple blue ensemble, but when the wearer enters a darkened room the viewer can see there are butterflies that have alighted on the cape and leggings.
The ‘petticoat’ version was a nod to dressing up as a southern belle at a costume party. The sheer, chiffon overskirts were stenciled with black light sensitive paint to appear like a layer of lace was added to each layer. The lace gloves, spats, and masks were immersed into the black light solution insuring a dramatic glow across a crowded room.
The final skirt was a high-low overskirt that was meticulously airbrushed with a graffiti image of winding snakes and jeweled necklaces. On top of the airbrushing glowering snake eyes were stenciled so that the wearer, looking colorful and playful in an illuminate room, suddenly looked menacing in a dark room.
