It’s not just about the garment itself but about the story behind it.
– Isabella Diorio
Inspired by the courageous and bold acts of pioneering women in the military and troubled by the rising population of homeless female veterans, Texas-born, Isabella Diorio, created Female Engagement Team (F.E.T.).
A multi-category award recipient in the 2020 International Design Awards, and iD International Emerging Design Awards, 2020 Finalist Collection, F.E.T. isn’t just any military inspired collection. It’s storytelling using fashion as the storyteller. Diorio, who currently lives in New Orleans, Louisiana and studied design in Paris, Florence, and New York, felt that the topic of homeless female vets was inspired by her own personal connection with military family members and friends. The hidden and brave women that have served the United States military, even some disguised as men, is a story manifested in this collection.
Skillfully constructed out of renewable sources, 12 honorable women, Deborah Samson, Sarah Emma Edmonds, Private Cathay Williams, Private Opha May Johnson, Elsie S. Ott, Colonel Ruby Bradley, Rear Admiral Grace Brewster Murray Hopper, Colonel Eileen Collins, Sergeant Leigh Ann Hester, Commander Darlene Iskra, First Lieutenant Ashley I. White-Stumpf, and Army General Ann E. Dunwoody, are represented in the F.E.T. collection, with the focal point being First Lieutenant Ashley I. White-Stumpf, a combat casualty in Afghanistan and, like Diorio, a Kent State University alumna.
Each look bears the name of these women vets, describes the sustainable materials and print finishing technique used, and how its functionality relates to a military uniform. The extraordinary execution consists of upcycling recycled fabric and scraps from FABSCRAP, constructing deconstructed second-hand garments and vintage military uniforms, while skillfully incorporating symbolic military details, with zero to no waste. Diorio, an advocate for environmental justice and owner of Bella Dio, a sustainable clothing and lifestyle label, said, “I believe that what we make and what we wear should be reflections of the world we wish to see. Sustainability, caring for our Earth, and clothes that speak, that tell a story, are what I work to create and educate others on, because sometimes even the smallest efforts can enact change.”
F.E.T. evokes a bit of an edge, demonstrating female power and perseverance. It is a work of art that documents an overlooked part of American history.
My hope for the collection was to bring awareness to the roles played and the struggles faced by female service members. – Isabella Diorio
Feature image: photographer Emily Warfield
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