Greek Gods And Goddesses but Make it Fashion

I am a Photography student at Nossi College of Art, but I also really enjoy fashion and costume design.

Currently in my fine art class, I had to choose a project that would keep my attention for an entire 15-week semester. I chose to do a series of environmental fashion portraits, editorial style, themed after the Greek Gods and Goddesses, and I wanted to create the wardrobe. The assignment requires that the series must contain twenty images and they must all be different. To me, that means making 20 different deity portraits. It will be challenging, but so far it has been really rewarding and it fuels my happiness.

Fiskar scissors has been along for the journey with me. They’re sharp, which is why I like them because I can cut through different types of fabric with ease.

In my series I had completed so far: Pan, the god of the wild; Demeter, the goddess of agriculture and fertility; Persephone, the goddess of Spring; Artemis, goddess of the hunt; Iris, the goddess of rainbows, and Hera, Queen of the gods and goddess of the sky, marriage, and fertility.

For each deity, I have to plan what they would wear, and then I get to make it. Different colors represent each deity, so I pull from that as to what colors the fabric might be. For Pan, his shirts are made of natural fibers and linens, and they are green. I left the edges unfinished to give him a more rugged look. The satyr legs are part of who he is, and cutting that fur was so messy, but the scissors made it easier with how sharp they are. I also made the Pan flute and added moss and leaves to the horns.

For Hera, I had originally designed the dress as a maternity dress. However, I ended up reshooting it on a different model to tell the tale of the throne Hephaestus gave to Hera, in which she gets stuck to it. To represent marriage, I used a white base for the dress, and then I added an ombré white and blue fabric because it reminded me of the sky. The peacock feathers are a reference to how she turns her trusted watchman, the hundred-eyed Argus, into a peacock to honor his death. There is also a long train, that is detachable, to add to her royal appearance.

Artemis is the goddess of the hunt, so I designed her to look like a huntress in a fantasy game. The only thing I didn’t make was the leotard and the mask, but everything else was made and designed by me. We see more fur on the cape and the bracers on her wrists, and a lot of green. The mask represents how she turns into a deer to escape two giants that want to marry her. Even though they are fake, I chose the furs to represent the use of different parts of animals to be functional. The hood and bracers keep her warm when hunting in the winter. The leather, which is actually a vinyl, protects her from potentially getting bitten or attacked by weaponry. The green skirt and cape has a tree pattern on it.

My intention with my series other than making a good grade in my class is to eventually sell prints and books. If you’re interested in following the journey, I post my progress with each costume on my Instagram, @sparrowmoosemedia where I am also posting the final images.