Wearing Interior Space: Mending the Relationship between Body and Space

Abstract

The author challenges the relationship of bodies to interior space and the disconnect between the typical interior design process and the role of clothing in the creation of identity. Concepts related to dress, the control of movement, equity, and comfort are also examined. Fashion design process is unpacked, proposing that concepts of fit, tailoring, and mending be applied to interior design. Connections are drawn between the scale at which clothing is patterned and to that of which interior spaces are designed. These concepts are explored further through a creative study based on the pattern making of clothing. An expanded interior design process is proposed to acknowledge more outwardly that interior design understands differing bodies, potentially resulting in more equitable interiors that respond and fit to the evolving characteristics of individual bodies.