Kraivich Koonmee

"Animals in Disguise" is a collection based on the concept of "Embracing the male body, Enhancing femininity in menswear". The aim is to create looks that express a feminine mood for male wearers and inspire them to show their identity through clothing, including their feminine side.

I began by researching feminine beauty in Greek art, which is known for its classical aesthetic and celebration of the human form through sculpture. This ideal later influenced Italian Renaissance paintings, often focused on Greek mythology. For example, Botticelli’s Primavera features the Three Graces, who embody the essence of Greek feminine beauty. Greek art also inspired Neoclassical design such as Wedgwood’s jasperware, which beautifully captures the fluid motion of fabric across the body in its designs.

In addition to Western art, I studied Thai mural paintings that depict male angel figures with elegant curves, expressing femininity in a way similar to that of female angel figures. Apart from feminine beauty, I also explored the idea of cuteness, which is often associated with animal shapes. Drawing from this theory, I selected animals commonly seen as gentle and endearing, including the fawn, rabbit, dog, cat, and squirrel, as inspiration for my draping approach.

Using draping techniques inspired by Greek sculpture, I created garment shapes that follow the male form while reflecting the outlines of these animals. Each piece was carefully draped and finished with hand stitching. I emphasized the shapes using fabric binding to define the lines and experimented with transparency by layering sheer fabrics over a black base dress to create contrast and visual depth.

The final garments explore feminine expression in menswear through soft, animal-inspired shapes that wrap and flow across the body. These animal shapes are subtly integrated into the fabric, appearing as quiet presences that blend into the design, evoking the feeling of animals in disguise.