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´Evulv´ 2019, is an experimental lingerie project that attempts to reclaim female sexuality, empower women and normalise female expression of desire. Exploring how the absence of discourse and education surrounding female sexuality and desire during adolescence negatively affects women’s understanding of themselves sexually and their ability to express their desires effectively.

Access to a proficient sexual education that includes the discourse of desire, pleasure and a pedagogy that grants students autonomy, is a basic human right. To exclude such discourse, and inadvertently deprive young people of appropriate critical analysis skills to become critical consumers of information does a complete disservice to future generations. Access to education is a pressing human rights issue, with damaging underlying effects on the understanding of self, as well as the interpretation and engagement of not only sexual practices, but many aspects of public and private life. Evulv is a project heavily embedded in the current western ideology and socio-political structures, and intends to provide an alternative future for the performance of female pleasure and desire. I aimed to unwrite the wrongs learned from an insufficient sexual education curriculum, as well as the values learned from heteronormative, sexist pornography. 

Student reflection

This project has made me see the value in user-led design and working with target demographics to successfully create pieces that directly impact and help them on a more personal level. It has also really inspired me to continue working in this industry, specifically sexuality education and I would love to (some time in the future) do a PhD and further develop this project. I really enjoyed conducting focus groups to collect primary data that drove my project and I think combining primary research into my design practice is something I want to continue expanding on in my future design career.