Dancing With My Hands─Meet Kelsey Ann Kasom Sculptural Womenswear Designer From The Royal College Of Art
fractal thinking ; ˈfrak-tᵊl ˈthiŋ-kiŋ ; noun ;
The process of using one's mind to consider or reason about the phenomenon in nature or mathematics that manifests as a repeating pattern at every scale.
As an artist and designer, Kelsey Ann Kasom redefines how space is valued sculpturally. Her shapes, although are an extension from the body, always remain a part of the body, the inner body.
Philosophically, her work is grounded by thoughtful symbolism through attention to detail - she does not create without her memories.
There has always been an indescribable need to exhaust material iterations - to challenge the properties of what we know to then celebrate what something can become.
As she Says
My research began with analyzing the obsessions that I have discovered within my creative process - how can I make a finely woven fiber stronger?
Why is this so important to me?
Am I the fiber?
The work explores conflicting sensations through the act of unveiling the intimate relationship I share with the metaphorical power of my material language.
Draping for me is like dancing with my hands.
A rhythm of make.
It allows me to translate how I feel into form.
It is a pure reflection of intensity beyond reason that can consume self, by creating so passionately that pain takes the form of pleasure.
Protruding from the hip, opening at the chest for air, encasing the body - a visual strength from the inside-out.
The shapes are made up of over 1,400 silk satin face organza pattern pieces laser cut on bias, individually dyed into 11 hues, and French seamed at 3mm.
The inverted French seams controls a narrow space between a gradual transition of color while concealing what exists from inside.
The rods within each seam want to explode out of their channels equally as much as they want to feel its protective barrier - naturally creating a desire of its own to put pressure on its confinement.
The movement of my shapes wrap around the body like a cycle of experienced time – echoing layers of self.
About Kelsey Anne Kasom
Kelsey is Detroit-born and raised in the countryside of Columbus, Michigan where she began anchoring on creativity as a form of expression.
“I grew up surrounded by nature which has instinctively influenced my work today. Having been raised in a low-tech environment my hand intelligence became my primary source of understanding the world around me.”
Kelsey explores the intimate relationship she shares with the metaphorical power of her material language.
She gains endurance from exhausting material iterations by challenging the properties of what we know to then celebrate what something can become.
Kelsey recently graduated from the Royal College of Art earning her Masters in Womenswear.
Alongside her studies she was featured in Grazia Magazine as part of Grazia X CSM: A New Age for Women in Fashion.
She was introduced as part of the next generation of fearless designers who put the female experience at the heart of their work.
Recently her work was published in WWD, S/ Magazine, System Magazine, 1 Granary: Reimagining Materiality, The Dyslexian and The British Fashion Council Graduate Preview.
Kelsey’s work is currently shortlisted for the Global Design Graduate Show in collaboration with Gucci..
