Managing and Marketing student Jasmine Moodie has set up a feminist clothing line and I am in love. Her brand stands for celebrating the female body and challenges the hyper sexualisation of women. She has recently blessed us with her new website to satisfy all of our feminist fashion needs!
At a Hyde Park Book club event on 16th November, a night of music, artwork and celebrating female empowerment for the campaign PADS (Power, Action, Diversity, Support), I was introduced to MUDE threads. People gathered excitedly around the beautifully displayed stall to admire the intricate, yet bold designs.
Moodie has created a range of delicate and simple images inspired by her old life drawing sketches. The designs showcase the female body in a way that highlights the artful charm of female form in all its natural form, all of which can be bought on tees, sweatshirts, hand painted totes and cushion covers. What at first appears to be sharply and crisply printed line drawings, reveals itself to be carefully embroidered creations, the subtle texture and elaborateness becoming more and more enticing the closer we look. The intricacy of Moodie’s artwork is what makes it so special. Each design is slightly different, adding a personal element to the product as well as reflecting the natural variations in all female bodies.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BXTMl6xl1GQ/?taken-by=mude_threads
Although the brand aims to challenge and break the boundaries caused by the stigma around the female body, it presents itself in a playful light. Moodie has selected names for her artwork such as ‘flirty femme’, ‘life’s a peach’, ‘sun’s out bums out’ and ‘nip nip hooray’ that allows the brand to bear an element of sass and encourages women to gain more control over their bodies.
‘I think wearing nakedness says so much about what you stand for, your personality and your confidence to break down barriers.’
The University of Leeds student learned how to embroider on her year abroad in France with a Kantan needle, taking inspiration from various Instagram artists and experimenting with the concept of identity. She expresses how the brand is not solely a fashion label but a movement that celebrates the female form.
After being so drawn in by MUDE thread’s striking products, I chatted to Moodie about how she had spread the word about her wonderful designs. She explained how she had posted a couple of the embroideries on Instagram and, after being contacted by various friends, or friends of friends, about buying her work, the brand gradually developed and grew over time. She now has professional contacts in various places in the UK, as well as a company in Australia who took a shine to her empowering images. One thing, however, that struck me was when she expressed her difficulty at promoting the brand through various social media platforms. Facebook has refused to promote her products due to the ‘explicit’ content that is displayed on the merchandise, claiming that the products are inappropriate for their users. It seems that Facebook has overlooked the aim of these designs: to encourage women to feel more comfortable about their bodies.
Although Facebook fails to recognise the sheer positivity this brand promotes whilst tackling the stigma around representations of the female body, MUDE threads will certainly continue to create a buzz and excitement as more and more people start conversations about the products and their values. In this case, word of mouth overrules social media, somehow making Moodie’s artwork seem even more powerful, natural and beautiful.
Breaking the norms by allowing people to wear nakedness with pride, this label is definitely one to watch.
Buy now at: https://www.mudethreads.com
Darla Dryland
Image: https://www.instagram.com/mude_threads/