Rachelle Besley

Rain on your wedding day, 2023

Water soluble thread and fabric, Milano satin, interfacing, boning, cotton thread

Rachelle Besley has combined her skills in textiles and graphic design to create a thought-provoking piece of performance art. Her project rain on your wedding day draws from sustainability and the issue of fast fashion. Besley encapsulates fast fashion through the form of a wedding dress as it is the most wasteful garment a person can wear. Her goal is to highlight the need for change through creating something memorable. The form of a wedding dress is then paired with graphic elements including typography of action words that force the reader to consider their actions. This text paired with the flowers which symbolise nature and the circular economy communicate the call to action.

The project is comprised of a final dress that has these graphic elements confronting the audience. Paired with a video of the over skirt being washed away. This drama symbolises the health of the world slipping away, and the solution being revealed.