I'd rather be a monster than a woman

After graduating with a bachelor degree in fashion design at the Institut Français de la mode in Paris, the designer Clementine Baldo had a stint designing at Jean-Paul Gaultier, leaving to further qualify at Central Saint Martins and then completing her Master’s in Fashion Design at the London College of Fashion. Clémentine Baldo is an advocate against violence towards women, her collection centres on the concept of the “monster,” breaking binary and social norms while embracing difference. Inspired by graphic novelist Emil Ferris’ 2017 statement, ‘I’d rather be a monster than a woman, it seems easier,’ the collection explores feminist ideologies. Experimenting with materials, such as transparent vinyl gloves mimicking the texture of skin, Clémentine crafts a surreal muse embodying symbolic references to society’s perception of the female body, a hybrid figure merging a nuclear warfare mutant with a seductive, post-oil spill siren. This figure possesses reptilian skin, hairy and feathery fur, deconstructed boned muscles, and a melted plastic shield pressing against her breasts.