2026
An interrogation of social hierarchy and tribal identification, Status examines the garment as a mobile signifier—a walking vessel of background, wealth, and belonging. The piece humorously addresses the ironic visual language of the contemporary elite, where high status is signalled through an aesthetic of extreme neutrality and an insistence on high-grade natural materials. By merging this modern code of inconspicuous consumption with the highly conscious, active signalling of the Indian Kutch tribes, the work constructs a singular figure that equates these disparate methods of marking one’s place in the world.
The silhouette is anchored in material honesty, utilising natural wool and cotton to mirror the anonymous uniform of global prestige. However, the traditional facade of refinement is dismantled through a radical "no-sew" construction. Drawing from the Kutch tradition—where sleeve length, pleat placement, torso proportions etc, all serve as specific, coded markers—every joint in the garment is treated as a symbolic intervention. Traditional seams are replaced by structural punctuation in the form of clay, paint, and metal hardware. Screws and safety pins function as deliberate joints, ensuring that every element of the assembly acts as a conscious signal of identity. Through this collision of natural materiality and mechanical joinery, Status questions the stability of the signs we wear and the paradoxical nature of contemporary prestige.