A Bleeding Heart; A Tool for Self-Deception

A woman with dark hair poses with her hands in her hair in front of a white backdrop wearing a red bustier and white skirt with a blood design. She looks off to the side and wears a dark red lipstick and a pouty expression.

Look 1: Red satin bustier with silk charmeuse hand-painted skirt and hand-sculpted and beaded heart

Look 1: Side profile of full look

A back view of a woman with dark hair poses, facing a white backdrop with her hands on her hips. She is wearing a red bustier, and we can see the lacing and white skirt with a blood design. Her head and feet are cut off from the photo and her scarf blows behind her.

Look 1: Full back view of garment, showing lacing on bustier

A woman wears a long black and red strapless gown in front of a white and gray backdrop with her hands posed under her bust. We can see her face as it looks off to the side. She wears a dark red lipstick.

Look 2: Ombré brocade dress with centerfront slit and side cutouts

Look 2: Back view of brocade dress

“A bleeding heart" is an expression used to describe one who shows excessive sympathy for another's misfortune. Growing up, finding my place of being sensitive and caring was important; and though it could be a weakness, I consider it a strength. This theme resonates with me: as a child, I was diagnosed with a bleeding disorder, and it's something I’ve battled ever since. In creating my thesis, I used anatomical hearts and blood-red color, along with strategic embroidery, to bring my own bleeding heart to life.