i posted not too long ago about my textiles mfa thesis project which i worked on during my time at risd. titled capes make the man, the final outcome was a collection of 'capes' that represented the male archetypes i carry as a mature masculine. during the research process, i was heavily influenced by a book that my colour studio professor recommended (thanks bill!), titled 'king, warrior, magician, lover: rediscovering the archetypes of the mature masculine' by douglas gillette and robert moore. after reading it, i began asking myself how would i visually define the archetypes that i carry. i felt like capes would be a great garment to experiment with to explore those visual definitions. capes not only touched upon the notion of the male superhero that i found in all the comic books i'd read and collected as a young boy, but also connected to the traditional attire that men wear in the united arab emirates and the region. the visual representation of archetypes through garments also reminded me of concert experiences, when pop stars on stage have multiple costume changes to represent multiple personas or archetypes during the course of the show. i imagined if i ever were a pop star, what costumes would i wear to present my king, warrior, magician, lover, and dancer (i had to add dancer because people who know me know how important dancing is to me). i think i did a pretty good job with the end result, which you can see in my previous post.
one of the major components to completing my thesis was to work on a series of writings which would be compiled into a final book format. i really enjoyed working on my thesis book, and those that have read it mentioned how honest and open i was with regards to discussing my personal and private life. i didn't share too much, but i think i was comfortable enough to share the life experiences that have made me who i am so far. i spoke about my family, the loss of my father, the 'boss ladies' in my life who never stop inspiring me, fanboy-ing over my favourite pop star in the entire world – kylie minogue, drag culture, memories good and bad, my love for dancing, and tying it all up with a personal narrative of growing up in the emirates.
the end result was a thesis pack, which included my thesis book, a sticker set of illustrations symbolically representing each archetype, which were used as designs and motifs on the final capes, a postcard of the complete collection of capes on display at the thesis grad show, a mix cd of songs that i listened to while working in studio during my time at risd, and a party wristband commemorating my love for the dance floor, which can also be used as a bookmark!
i couldn't have worked on a successful thesis book if it wasn't for the guidance of my writing professor and mentor, emily. thanks emily for helping me make the thesis book just as important and special as the capes themselves. i didn't get a chance to thank my thesis advisors in my previous post. mary anne, anna and amy, thank you, thank you, thank you. your guidance over my final semester was what fuelled my drive to make a kickass project. a special thanks also goes out to my digital embroidery professor michael, who made sure i was in a good place every week with my project both in and out of class, and his friend gabriel in la, who helped conceive the best embroidery solutions outside of campus facilities on the tightest of deadlines. thank you all for taking pride in 'capes make the man' as much as i did.
if anyone is curious, or would like to get their hands on a copy of my thesis book, do reach out. i would love to share it.
i end this post with the dedication i included in my thesis book: to my family – thank you for moulding me into the man that stands before you. to my nephews – i can't wait to see you all grow up into the beautiful men you are meant to be.
