Creative Design: Professional

Forbidden Fruit: Mediating Coincidentia Oppositorum

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Abstract

This conceptual design project revisits the iconic hourglass silhouette of the early 1950s to explore the intersections of nostalgia, femininity, and aesthetic control. Grounded in social control theory and supported by historical dress analysis and empirical aesthetics, the work examines how fashion visually enforces gendered ideals. The design uses material and color to negotiate dualities of concealment and revelation, indulgence, and control. A deep red silk paper taffeta bodice contrasts with a voluminous tulle overskirt, creating a dialogue of power and delicacy. Subtle tone-on-tone embroidery reinforces the theme of concealed labor. Techniques include full-scale draping, hand dyeing, and meticulous attention to construction. Drawing on the coincidentia oppositorum framework, the final piece embodies the reconciliation of opposites, generating visual and symbolic tension. The work contributes to fashion scholarship by using historical references and aesthetic practice to critique the cost of idealized femininity, offering insights for contemporary design.

Keywords: Empirical Aesthetics, Social Control Theory, Nostalgia, Sybmolic Interactionism

How to Cite:

Bernardoni, J. M., (2025) “Forbidden Fruit: Mediating Coincidentia Oppositorum”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 82(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/itaa.21914