My senior capstone project at Parsons School of Design.

Esprit de Corps is an exploration of women’s relationship to cosmetics through a collection of vanity objects: a hand mirror, a comb, and a necklace.

Makeup is many things: a tool for self expression, a duty, a symbol of maturity, a protector of ego, a point of connection, or a symbol of authority.

Inspired by these complex dynamics around makeup, Esprit de Corps combines these vanity objects with the forms of armor and weaponry.

These objects are covered with ornamental motifs, with each symbol representing a larger concept that plays into the ritual of cosmetics. These symbols are expanded upon through cards, connecting the visual allegory to the ornamentation.

This collection is meant to last, inspiring generational change through lasting sentiments that can be passed down and reinterpreted in years to come.