Zoe MacCormack is a womenswear fashion design graduate from London. Her final major project entitled ‘The Divine Feminine Messenger’ is a collection that draws inspiration from the divine feminine; the places she has seen and been touched by, while also aiming to confront the issue of the suppression of the female and feminine dimension.
Inspired by her Catholic upbringing, she centred her muse around the elusive figure of Mary Magdalene and the narrative that surrounds her. It is a fascinating story, convoluted by the threat of a strong woman being a central figure in a patriarchal religion. Men have constantly misinterpreted and distorted religious scripture for their own benefit; resulting in a dark history of violence and misogyny as well as the obscuring of this female protagonist.
Exploring her depiction in history and art, particularly that of a sinner and saint, and her as “Hairy Mary”, Zoe explores and finds the relationship between women and their hair; a strange emotional and egoic attachment.
Hairy Mary represents both the sense of divinity and shame projected onto women. She also draws on more esoteric depictions of archetypes of divine female figures including the ones represented in Tarot to achieve bold silhouettes in all natural fibres. The aim is fantasy and physical comfort.
Zoe designs for creative free spirits; her muses are her friends with their strong feminine energy, creativity, playfulness, softness, strength, and sense of freedom.