EQUUS
Category: Apparel
Competitions: International
Thinking of real leather and It’s inevitable animalistic essence I chose to draw inspiration from a play in which that element is beautifully and painfully explored. The British play Equus by Peter Shaffer tells the story of Alan, a 17 year old boy who blinded six horses. The play is showcasing the journey of Alan's psychiatric treatment and through it the background to his actions is revealed. Alan, who developed a private religion around horses, gets closer to the object of his worship while working in a stable. Every three weeks at midnight he rides his favorite horse while naked in an attempt to become one whit his god Equus (meaning horses in latin). Eventually breaking under the judgment of Equus he is hurting the horses's eyes to escape it. The project aims to represent that paradoxical energy of passion, eroticisms and the asceticism felt and performed by Alan at the same time. It is referencing the body of crucified Jesus that Alan was fascinated by as a child using layers of goat leather in a pale grey color. Combined with hairy brown goat leather panels the final result is a symbol of Alan's desire to unite with Equus. (It is unclear to me whether goat leather with remaining hair is considered as fur since to the best of my knowledge it is simply a less treated form of smooth goat leather but of course it is possible to replace it with hairless leather of the same color).
