Power piece

Power piece

By Rose Freer, a young person taking part in Fashioning Our World

I was instantly inspired when I saw this item. I love how it blends both modern and past fashion, the structure very historical but the design itself something you'd expect to see on modern runways. The idea of combining the rich black velvet and metal studs also fascinated me, a combination of luxury and the punk style.

Most of all though, I love how much of a statement it is - can you imagine a woman wearing this power piece in 1910, when we were still basically viewed as pretty objects? She must have had guts to do it.

This is what gave me the idea for my drawing, from the stiletto heels to the tailored trousers. My favourite piece of the design, however, is the choker. It's thought that the bodice would have had a stiff collar, and that it was unpicked. One of the theories why is that it was turned into a choker.