File: TTInterviewB03262015 --- [Music] Q: Can you please describe embroidered bodies to me and kind of give me an idea of what that's about? A: Well embroidered bodies discusses preconceived notions of body modification. So it's really about taking how people see people with tattoos or piercings or what not and just making sure people understand where it comes from, why people do it, instead of there's a lot of judgment. That even today is still happening, so the goal with embroider bodies is creating art pieces. Which kind of make you question how you see body modification. Q: All right, so how is it built? Can you describe kind of the contents that are that are that make it up kind of thing - like the physical, because it is embroidering right? So can you kind of describe what it's constructed out of? A: Well so the bulk of the piece, it's a four foot embroidered illustration. So the way I like to do it is. I take vintage fabrics, and I have to develop the illustration first and that's plenty of steps on its own. Once you actually get to transfer it onto the fabric, it's just a matter of like hours and hours of stitching. There's really just a lot of kind of, it's more preparatory work that goes into it. There's a full semester of just coming up the design, the color schemes, figuring out what composition would be the most effective, and obviously with embroidery it's really miniature stitches. It's really tiny work and on such a large scale there's a bit of a different challenge with it. So there's a lot of, I did the entire design and realized I didn't do enough. So I had to go and fill it in some more. Like 10 different times, until finally it actually looks like a full piece now. And like with within the project I also decided to create a book as well to go with it where I interviewed different people with body modification and you did a photo series that kind of brought you through their own stories. So I'm a bit of an overachiever. I did way more work than I probably should have, and it's, it's crazy but it's really fun. Q: So you mentioned the book, and so this sounds like a ton of work. Did you, started in in September is that correct? A: Yes, I started in September. I actually, I technically started last year. I went on exchange in England, and that's kind of where I came up with the idea because my mom taught me how to embroider two years ago, and I was doing it for fun there and then I was also trying to sketch the people around me and like I was really fascinated with all the people with tattoos and I thought - the act of piercing the fabric mirrored the act of piercing the flesh and like wow this is really interesting. So I started sketching back then. Started in September actually speaking with a professor to come up with the idea and then it's just been kind of snowballing since then. Q: So embroidered bodies - why is this important in the context of mass exodus? A: I think it's a different perspective on fashion and i think what's important about the study of fashion is that it's not something people really look into very often. So I think body modification is really the roots of where fashion comes from. It predates clothing. So if we can understand where body modification comes from, perhaps we can understand why the need to express ourselves through clothing is so ingrained in human culture. So I think it's really important to look at that from the study of fashion and I think it's really important to see how the study of fashion can really affect our study of human culture and societies. Q: So a lot of people who aren't involved in Mass Exodus, kind of maybe maybe think that it's about the runway and everything but you there's actually a whole other exhibit portion to this that if you're a fashion communication student you can actually enter into. So in saying that I guess my question is what does Mass Exodus mean to you? I think it's an opportunity to one, show your work to a really great broad audience to get a lot of industry professionals to see your work and make the contacts and I think it's also just for Ryerson and the School of Fashion, it is kind of a big advertising event for the school and I think, when I was in high school I came to the show and that was a big decision of mine to come to Ryerson and I thought it was amazing that this huge production could happen and I saw the work and I remember there was a student who did these beautiful woodcuts prints and when I saw that I'm like I want to be, when I get in fourth year I'm going to make some sort of giant artwork and that's going to be showcased in the exhibit. And that was the reason I came to Ryerson so, I think, I like the opportunity of being able to inspire other people and do the same. Q: What's next? for you? A: I'm going to be going for my master's. I want to continue my studies in fashion, I want to continue my studies of body modification because I really do think it's important, and I'm going to continue illustrating because that's my love. Thanks for joining us.