Image by Chriselda Katsi

Making a bold statement, upcoming fashion designer Chriselda Katsi, got her model to strut down the catwalk holding a tampon as an accessory.  

This outfit, inspired by the female anatomy, wasn’t just about creating an iconic look but rather addressing social issues.  

When discussing the thought process behind the collection, she shared that her main goal was to tackle social stigma surrounding menstruation.

 “I do feel as though the female reproductive system is quite a taboo topic so aimed to normalise menstruation by putting it front and centre on the runway.”

In creating this design, Katsi shared that she began embroidering a vagina onto shreds of denim and soon turned it into an entire outfit, attaching the embroidery onto a skirt.

The co-ordinating two piece featured both light and dark washes of denim, trendy pinstripes and a silhouette of the female body all the way down the sleeves of the top.

“The entire project was all about showcasing the female body without sexualising it, and I just felt as though an empowering fashion collection would convey that message the best.”

Amongst her bold and daring designs, she also more quietly explores gender through androgenous clothing.

“For a while now, I have created feminine designs on male bodies to try and break free from the societal meaning of what it is to be feminine or masculine- especially since gender is such a subjective concept that you can hardly even define femininity or masculinity anymore.”

As a designer who has long-anticipated embracing more gender-fluid designs, says she is excited for the future of gender-explorative fashion.

For more stories on Fashion click here: https://illuminatedmag.co.uk/fashion/