Worn Identity by Daria Kilemnik - Garment Ensemble Exploring Identity | Inspired by leather and material fatigue

Category: Apparel

As Israelis, we are born in a land of heroes and heroines, the brave and the strong. But what happens when the magic fades? What if I no longer feel like a hero? What if I wake up every day afraid, aching? When is it enough? When is it too much? When is the time to admit that this has become more than I can hold? Worn Identity explores the moments when belonging begins to crack — when belief wears thin and the emotional burden becomes too heavy to carry. The desire to start over grows stronger, while the will to stay — to hold on to the identity I was born into — slowly weakens. How does identity wears down over time? How does belonging becomes unbearable? To answer these questions I turned to leather — a material associated with strength and protection — and studied its aging. Through the natural processes of patina and material fatigue, I found physical metaphors for emotional wear. My faith has developed wear, which has begun to tear down the very foundations that uphold my connection to the place I was born in. I constructed a visual language around the tension between two archetypes: the Sabra, a symbol of rooted, heroic belonging in Israeli culture, shaped by ideals of toughness, self-reliance, and connection to the land — and the Migrant, a figure marked by displacement, movement, and alienation. I chose to keep all natural imperfections found in the leather hides I worked with — scars, creases, and uneven textures — as both an intentional design element and a reflection of my commitment to sustainable practice. The visible wear communicates a layered, emotionally charged narrative, aligned with the project’s exploration of identity. This work doesn’t offer answers. It sits in the space between holding on and letting go, between a longing to believe and the fatigue that dims it. A full visual catalog is included among the uploaded assets, documenting the research, process and final outcome.