Candace Steiger

Tel: (605) 868-1748

designs

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designer's statement

A native of South Dakota, I moved east to Baltimore to pursue my education. Currently a senior at the Maryland Institute College of Art, I am completing my degree in Fibers and Experimental Fashion. Beyond fashion I am interested in theatre, costuming and performance art.

In creating garments my process begins with visual research and references. My work is often inspired by my fascination with a certain animal, time period or even a very specific photograph. From there I flesh out the garment and very often my work involves at least some hand detailing such as beading, edging, trimming etc. If the work calls for it I will sometimes create a print specifically for the garment.

I always let the needs of the garment dictate my choices. I consider wether or not the garment requires free movement, structure, flow, shine, etc. I am never afraid of color or bold patterns in my work. There are times when I reverse my thinking and design a garment around a patterned textile that is especially interesting to me.

My recent work has involved searching for visual ways in which to identify my concept of “womanhood” as seen through the scope of my personal experiences and identity. My thoughts have centered on the traditional roles of womanhood of my own investigation of how I feel about projecting those images of women. I am also very much inspired by the intensity of making that goes into creating a garment, distinctly for a specific person, by hand.
I am very intrigued by the issues which present themselves when combining garments that are considered hyper-feminine and the traditionally hyper-masculine. I want to meet the two worlds in a way that makes the clothing carry the strength and beauty of modernity and also hold onto the traditions of hand-making. By combining these influences I wish to create dialogue on concepts of female identity and sexuality.