Anatomy of Power
"This piece opened the show, and I had known for months that the show would begin with one of my favorite dialogues from Marylin Monroe. So naturally the first three pieces in the show had to somehow depict the era with the pleats and the hair and the structure that was found in the clothes while still being a part of this collection."
Parishae Adnan
John Kenneth Galbraith, a Harvard economist, published a study in 1983 on the dynamics of social power. He defined there to be three prime instruments of control, namely force, money and institutions. Taking inspiration from Galbraith’s ideology, this collection showcases how the nuances of structure and silhouette play a role in defining control. The regality of embroidery found in armor depict condign power, the use of silver, gold and white, signifying affluence, depict compensatory power, and finally the incorporation of accentuated lines and well defined structure show authority and institutional power. The subtle division of the collection is parallel to the three prime instruments mentioned in Galbraith's theory and the relevance of it today.
The house takes pride in its ethos of sustainability, slow fashion, and practicality. The base fabric of this collection comes from
upcycled textile waste and the collection makes use of ocean waste plastic and recycled steel for embellishments.
The collection begs the redefinition of power, sensuality,
and femininity while challenging the current notions of control.
House of Parishae presents “Anatomy of Power.”