Matthew Velasco — Parsons Festival 2022

Materiality

Thesis Statement

INTIMUS explores sensuality and toys with constraint, organic forms, and the female form. My research process led me in three main directions: the work of sculptor Ruth Asawa, Victorian-era undergarments, and Roman mosaics. Through these sources, I developed ideas of concelament and openness which led to the collections theme: intimacy. I then proceeded with material

Image: MY INITIAL RESEARCH PROCESS LED ME IN VARIOUS DIRECTIONS, THE FIRST SOURCE BEING THE WORK OF JAPANESE-AMERICAN SCULPTOR RUTH ASAWA: I WAS ENAMORED WITH HER COILED WIRE SCULPTURES THAT NOT ONLY IMITATED THE SHAPES OF OPEN FORM KNITS BUT ALSO CREATED ENCASED AND BULBOUS SHAPES THAT I FOUND TO BE EXTREMELY SENSUAL AND INTIMATE. I FOUND THAT THESE ORGANIC SHAPES WERE FLATTERING WHEN SHAPED ON THE BODY AND CREATED INTERESTING CONVERSATIONS AROUND CONSTRAINT AND OPENNESS.

Image: THE NEXT STEP IN MY PROCESS WAS TEXTILE DEVELOPMENT AND RESEARCH. I CHOOSE KNITWEAR, PRIMARILY HAND KNITS, AS THE COLLECTION’S MEDIUM BECAUSE OF THE OPEN AND BREATHABLE QUALITIES OF THE TEXTILES AS WELL AS THE WAYS IN WHICH IT EXPOSES AND CONCEALS CERTAIN PARTS OF THE BODY. USING THE SHAPES FOUND IN MY RESEARCH, I KNITTED DOZENS OF ORGANIC SHAPES IN VARIOUS STITCH PATTERNS: STOCKINETTE, LACE, PURL, AND MORE.

Image: I THEN WOULD PLACE THE KNITTED SHAPES ONTO DRESS FORMS IN VARIOUS PLACES IN ORDER TO CONCEPTUALIZE THE FINAL SILHOUETTES OF THE COLLECTION. FROM MY TEXTILE EXPLORATIONS, I DEVELOPED THREE MAIN FACETS OF THE COLLECTION: “BULBS,” LINKED TRIANGLES, AND LAYERED KNITS THAT EMULATE THE SHAPE OF THE WAIST.

Bio

Matthew Velasco is a New York City-based knitwear designer, artist, and writer. His work inspires conversations around the female form and challenges traditional notions of womenswear and knitwear. He creates purposeful, narrative-driven work that is not only thought provoking, but also wearable and digestible for the everyday. Matthew is enamored with textile design, and focuses on creating interesting materials through a variety of free from machine and hand knitting techniques. Matthew will graduate from Parsons School of Design in May 2022,receiving a Bachelor’s of Arts in Fashion Design.