Thanatophobia: Overcoming the Fear Through Fashion Design Concepts

Abstract

The documentary film Knowing Death examines thanatophobia, or the fear of passing away. The main challenge in addressing Thanatophobia (Knowing Death) lies in its abstract nature. Furthermore, identifying death anxiety concretely and expressing it in a visual medium is a major challenge. Instead of literal representations of the subject, we’ve overcame this problem by utilizing designed images and sound metaphorically to elicit particular emotional reactions in the audience. While the topic of death anxiety is discussed through interviews, the emotional reactions reflect our own personal journey through it. This study utilized phenomenological approach combining interviews with analysis of artifacts and workshops in two phases. The study further sheds light on how clothing can address and cater to their unique requirements. In the modern world, branding and fashion have grown to be significant forces. The research adopted the Consumer Needs Model for Functional Expressive Aesthetics (FEA) as a framework for creating clothing that appeals to thanatophobic women. The study employed a sequential method, starting with an initial interview phase, followed by the creation of prototype garments, and concluding with a prototype evaluation survey administered to the research participants. phenomenological approach, combining interviews with analysis of artifacts and workshops, has been adopted.