Susana Castro

S / CASTRO THESIS / 12

Susana Castro

DECONSTRUCTION THROUGH MASKED SEDUCTION


ProposalStatement I am designing and branding a high fashion, luxury t-shirt collection that investigates the deconstruction of beauty through masks and hidden seductions in the form of narrative and conceptual designs.

ToneDark and mysterious

ThemesMasked seductions, chaotic glamour and the personification of death

InspirationsAlexander McQueen, Vivienne Westwood, Nan Goldin


ProposalAddressingI intend to address some of these issues in my thesis by creating designs that explore the themes discussed in similar ways that my image collection does. I will focus on using masks to create hidden seductions that pull the viewer in. By mixing chaos with glamour, I am redefining the word ‘beauty’ and what it traditionally means to my own believes.

ResearchI will explore all of the themes through research, expierence, and experimentation. I will create different pieces in multiple mediums in efforts to understand them and find different ways to connect and express them. Later on in the process I will begin to focus on the actual product its self, the shirt.


image Collection All images taken from Tumblr, proper artist credits not available.


Masking/SeductionPictured here is a mask that is covering half a face that is holding a seductive look. The mask not only covers but also reveals the viewers in the reflection.


Masking/Death/Deconstruction/MysteryHere the mask is a translucent red that bleeds on top of the image which evokes the feelings of mystery and death. It portrays death in a more literal way as the image is depicting the moment right before a wolf attacks its prey. It deconstructs the traditional view of beauty as it is beautiful but not in a glamour way but instead the colors and focal point that pull the viewer in.


Seduction/Glamour/Mystery/MaskingThe mask being used here is different in that it masks the body of the woman and the background as well. The woman is rendered in a traditional beautiful sense with glamour in her face and long hair with a seductive look. Mystery is evoked by the animals evaporating out of her hands.


Masking/Seduction/GlamourThe mask here is a literal mask covering the face of the woman. Her pose of the head slightly tilting and hair hanging on the side, combined with the mask creates a seductive feel. The glamour is translated on to the rose/floral printed on the jacket.


Masking/Death/DeconstructionThe mask here is the negative space that creates the cross symbol that is juxtaposed with a cropped skulll. The deconstruction of the skull and cross explore the themes of death and mystery.


Masking/Seduction/Glamour/DeconstructionThis image uses multiple masks that deconstruct the image such as the translucent colors, the spiral dots, and overlaying shapes that contain blurred/cropped images. The glamour is present with the face of a traditionally beautiful woman. Her reflective image holds a seductive look and the layered masks decontruct the image and as well pull the viewer in.


Masking/Seduction/DeconstructionThis album cover utilizes a mask that creates a mirror reflection that runs horizontal across the woman’s face. The mirrored image not only decontructs her face but also creates a seduction. The decontruction is also present in the bleeding triangle and fading colors.


Masking/Seduction/GlamourThe mask and seduction here come in the form of a red cloth dancing over the top half of a woman. It creates movement and does not allow the viewer to see the face. The glamour is present in the bottom half of the body that are toned, long legs which create a sexual feeling.


Masking/Seduction/DeconstructionHere, the mask, seduction and deconstruction all come in the same form which is the colored layer on top of the face on the left and the colored print replacing the body on the right. By covering the face or the body, the image uses masks to deconstruct the image and seduct the viewer by leaving the underneath layers to the imagination.


Masking/Seduction/Glamour/DeconstructionIn this image, the mask decontructs the traditional glamour aspects and creates a seduction and inspires a narrative. A traditionally beautiful face is masked with tears of paint coming out of her blacked out eyes. With this, a narrative is created as it provokes the viewer to question what these colored tears could mean or what is happening to the woman.


Seduction/masking/DeathThe mask here is a personification of death that is the skeletal form that replaces the epidermal layer on the body. The seduction is in the way the body is portrayed in a curve with a small waist and large buttocks and the pose it holds.


Seduction/masking/DeconstructionA historical image of Marie Antionette is decontructed with a colored mask that replaces the face and with this elusiveness it is transformed to be indirectly seductive.


Masking/Seduction/Death/DeconstructionThis image decontructs a beautiful woman as she is falling into acid that is decomposing her. The mask is the decomposition that starts to reveal the skeletal layer of the body. The way she falls with her hand reaching out and her toned legs opened, creates the seductive feel.


Seduction/masking/GlamourThe mask here is the translucent orange X that lays on top of the glamourous Marilyn Monroe. It is not her that creates the seduction but the mask. The mask creates a contrast with the diluted back image and makes it stand out to the viewer.


Reading List “It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want To Be” - Paul Arden

‘Savage Beauty’ - Alexander McQueen

“Style Deficit Disorder” - Tiffany Godoy

“Subculture the Meaning of Style” - Dick Hebdige

“Vivienne Westwood” - Claire Wilcox

“I’ll Be Your Mirror” - Nan Goldin

Susana Castro

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