Shelly Michael

“Where Storm manipulates the winds and thunder, and Nemesis is seated gracefully in the cosmos. What of Cassandra Cain? The young woman so skilled she’s able to defeat Batman. Katana so committed to her husband; she fights with the sword that holds his soul. What about the heroes without power? The questioned strength of their bones against metahumans like silk against the sharpest obsidian. Yet they persevere. Neither born nor blessed with power but are made invincible by wit and weaponry.

At first glance Resene Curious Blue appears as a single layer of bliss but the more I stare, the more complex she becomes. Much like powerless heroes, they are required to hide secrets on their person. Miss Masque, created in 1946, a year in the golden age of comic books, has an appearance always perceived as lesser than, is always ready with her intelligence as well as her pistols tucked away.

When more equipment equivalates to more power, the same concept can be given to clothing, less isn’t always more. The approach of my look is to make people identify what looks to be a completed statement, come apart and reveal another new get-up. In this case, a raglan jacket that fills the empty space a halter neck creates, turning a sun dress into an evening gown. The corset that creates the curve of a straight dress, while adding more hidden compartments, turns casual to couture.

I have almost never been a fashion forward individual. I will always choose a pair of jeans. In saying that I wanted to honour the 75th anniversary of Resene by combining it with my hobby of comics. Maybe wearing fashion forward clothing would be pleasurable if it were associated with something we love and the essence of curiosity of making people wanting more.”

Resene Whitecliffe Colour of Fashion clothing - 2021

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