Molly Wu

With a little humour and a lot of energy, Molly is a jewellery artist currently based in London. She graduated with a BA in Jewellery Design from Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London in 2020. Her work always relates to self-expression and self-reflection. Molly sees herself as a storyteller. In her work there are themes of expressivity and humour ; )

White bows are traditionally a symbol synonymous with innocence, purity and feminism. Molly’s collection explores the idea of purity. It charts the transition from traditional female stereotypes to modern women. The ribbon, floating in the air, is used as a symbol that represents the journey to liberation, and also elegance, freedom and the spirit of femininity.

Inspired by ideas relating to innocence and ‘femininity’, Molly’s current project is about the feminist revolution. The starting point was white lace, traditionally connoting innocence, purity and new beginnings. A bride wearing white lace today uses the material as an expression of a new beginning, and the material is not associated with the expression of virginity and purity as much as it was earlier. The starting place for her research focused on the traditional Japanese wedding dress, called a shiromuk. The material is all white, and the dress is in the form of a kimono. It is symbolic of a blank canvas for the husband to place his ideas and values on his bride. The wearing of the shiromuk demonstrates the bride’s subservience to the man in the relationship, and her willingness to be dyed with the groom’s family colour. The tone is obedient and placating. 

Molly believes the idea of a bride needing to erase her past to suit the wishes of her husband is a ridiculous idea. Exploring further the ideas of purity and innocence, where do these stereotypes come from and how does it influence women and their relationship with society? Before the late nineteenth century, most women did have not the freedom and power to define their identity independently of men and were living according to strict societal norms. During the early Victorian period, women were not allowed to vote and did not have the right to take offenders to court. After marriage, a woman was not allowed to keep her own property and her belongings were transferred to her husband. Molly’s collection attempts to trace the process of liberation that has occurred throughout history up to modern times. 

Societal influence plays a part in the work, as all genders are affected by the societal expectations of their times. Molly’s conjecture is that if there were less stereotyping in society, people would be free to explore their identity for themselves. To present the journey of women’s liberation, the collection is designed around different types of headwear, and Molly has divided the collection into different stages. It begins with a heavy decorative headpiece, framing the face, and moves towards liberation, using photography to present the whole story. The ribbon, floating in the air, is used as a symbol representing the journey to liberation and represents elegance, freedom and the spirit of femininity.