The “Vigilante” look by Roshanak Mobram, a final-year design student at the Amsterdam Fashion Academy, explores the balance between safety and resistance – inspired by the experiences of the women in her family.
“I wanted to bring back into focus the ongoing struggle in Iran, which has received little attention in the news since the ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ protests.”
Whether it’s the mandate to wear a headscarf or the prohibition against wearing one, this project raises the question: Do our appearances always have to be politicized?
A recurring motif in her work is a pattern derived from woodwork. “I was inspired by an essay about the mashrabiya, the ‘architectural veil’ – an element in Middle Eastern buildings that separates men and women.”
Her grandfather, who was a metal craftsman, also influenced her.
The mashrabiya reappears in the form of laser engravings, embroidery, and 3D printing, but also as digital textures – the biggest challenge was combining all these elements in a short amount of time. Fundamental to her design process is the dialogue between past and present, between craftsmanship and digital innovation.
“I tried to digitally replicate the process of draping – my main design method in real life – by using virtual needles and pins.” She was curious to see how this technique could be implemented in Clo3D.
“When you combine digital and physical fashion, both the possibilities and the limitations multiply. You have to consider the laws of physics in both worlds – and at the same time, you can play with them.”
In the future, she wants to continue focusing on integrating different technologies to preserve, transform, and critically question cultural heritage.
