About the Project
The Sophisticated Woman is a multimedia exhibition exploring the evolution of the power suit and its place in American youth culture today. The show is structured by costumes, photography, and illustrations that work together to illuminate the impact of the power suit in pop culture as well as in social and political movements throughout history. The centerpiece of the exhibition is a short film of the same name which focuses more specifically on the generational differences we see in the female power suit. The exhibition will be displayed in an art gallery in Downtown LA once the COVID 19 quarantine is lifted. The Sophisticated Woman book, which will feature all of the curated material listed above plus a series of articles on the power suit, is also in production. It will be available for purchase this fall.
Selected Contact Sheet from Photography Series
Why this project?
When looking at the figures commonly seen in the fashion and film world, the caricature of a powerful and suave male is very familiar (i.e. James Bond, Mad Men’s Don Draper, etc). however, these qualities are rarely seen embodied by a female. The Sophisticated Woman seeks to represent the female equivalent and examine gender inequality through the lens of the ever-evolving pant suit.