Corset Revival by Georgia Chioni

A story of reshaping through human narrative
1. What inspired your piece?
I have always found corsets fascinating, both armors and ornaments, a means of
limitation and liberation at the same time. The corset tells stories of women who
reshaped themselves to fit society’s moulds and of artists who later reshaped the
corset itself to defy them. My piece is inspired by the duality of the corset — both as a
symbol of restriction and as an object of beauty and craftsmanship, a form of self-
expression and identity: from shaping the body in reshaping it into a statement of
empowerment and renewal.
2. How have you reimagined the corset’s history?
A canvas of individuality, honoring the technical artistry, an emblem of strength and
modern identity; a vessel of transformation. For me reshaping means reconstructing it
as a means of self-expression, a process of poetic artifact through the alchemy of
change.
3. What themes of renewal, resilience, or transformation guide your
work?
Renewal for me is the act of reinterpreting something old into something new — both
materially and symbolically. Resilience is present in the materials themselves and
transformation runs throughout the whole process, a narrative of control and
liberation.
4. What materials and techniques will you use, and where will they
come from?
I’ll be using reclaimed fabrics, deadstock delicate lace. A mixture of traditional
corsetry techniques with experimental layering and visible mending. The garment’s
history will remain intact, showing beauty and endurance.
5. What does the process of upcycling mean to you personally?
In an age obsessed with consumption, upcycling, to me, is a way of life; a motto to
remind me that creativity relies on vision and courage; a means to see potential where
others see waste. It means humbleness and gratitude. It means, further, that everything
carries the potential for transformation, like life itself.