at face value

At Face Value: To accept something as it appears, without question or deeper analysis. At Face Value is a "fashion editorial" that critiques the commodification of image and social status in consumerist America. Through bold, high-gloss visuals and sculptural garments, the project explores how mass-produced trends shape and transform individual identity, particularly for young adults. I designed wearable pieces made from price tags, clothing labels, and security sensors, turning the human body into a means of commodification. These materials highlight how even self-expression is packaged, marketed, and consumed. By placing these items directly on the body, the work contrasts human vulnerability with commercial artifice. The use of security tags in In-Security also speaks to the monitoring inherent in consumer culture, not just in stores, but in everyday life, where we are constantly observed and expected to perform for society s gaze. Price in Vanity shows that without the addition of labels we are brought to the end of the performative cycle. The posing throughout shows how individuals are confident in what they are representing, but not in themselves. The line between advertisement and authenticity is blurred. At Face Value invites viewers to reconsider how they construct and consume identity. By holding up a mirror to the systems we live within, this work asks: What is it costing us to be seen?