Zella (she/her) is a Transgender woman living in Redmond who enjoys expressing creativity in various mediums including fiber arts.
Evolution
2025
Garment Design (90% thrifted and deadstock fabric)
Evolution is my transgender journey from the viewpoint of fashion.
The first form (left) is the idea of what I thought I would want to wear. The dress form is soft and pink, the dress is a form fitting corset top with a tight pencil skirt with dual side slits.
The next form is representative of the first outfits I wore as I first started experimenting with clothing as a part of my gender expression. The skirt is a basic “Skater skirt” with a vee neck tee-shirt. The shirt is not tucked in, and the skirt is worn too low. The dress form has been sized to be more indicative of my actual body shape and is made of burlap. Signifying the discomfort I felt in my skin.
The next is like outfits I wore a little further into my transition. The skirt has gone to an “A-Line” design and the blouse is more fitted. This was also the point where I discovered the magic of a well-fitting bra.
The dress form is made of upholstery fabric, not the most comfortable against skin but a vast improvement from the previous form
The final dress form (right) is indicative of an outfit I would wear today. This flowy dress in the transgender pride colors is a celebration of progress in my journey so far not just in fashion but as my growth into be my truest self. The dress form is made from a woven cotton. This is much more comfortable on the skin and representing my growth in comfort within my body.
Coming Out
It took me 50 years of my life before I began to really understand myself. In a moment of retrospection, I began thinking about how I saw myself and who I wanted to be. A word that never came up was “masculine.” If this was something that I didn’t see in myself, why was I letting it define me?
With this I gave myself permission to explore life without worrying about if something was typically perceived as masculine or feminine. Several hundred hours of self-reflection and a year of therapy later, I stopped letting my fear control me and began socially transitioning.