NightWraith: costume designed and made by me
Finalist of the International World of Wearableart show in 2019.

Story:
Nightwraith

The concept of a wraith is present in many cultures in our world as well as in many of the conceptual universes – a cursed soul, an undead who died a horrible death or an evil spirit preying on the living. One thing is common: Darkness.
My main inspiration came from Eastern-European cultures and beliefs. There is a creature who is preying on its victim as a parasite: The person wakes at night, feeling tightness in their chest and unable to move. A creature is sitting on their chest feeding on their soul leaving only fear, darkness and the feeling of emptiness. The person awakes tired, anxious and exhausted the next morning. The description of these vile creatures seems to be an explanation for different mental illnesses that the people couldn’t explain at the time other than picturing such evil spirits haunting the living.
The restricted movement in the costume combined with a somewhat distorted skeletal shape were designed to enhance the uneasy, tormented feel of the creature while the flowy, ragged finishing combined with the faceless headpiece to create a ghostly effect at the same time. Applying different textures in the costume also added to the desired look.
I wanted the costume to express the suffering and fears of a twisted soul, reflecting on the feeling of anxiety, depression and the many other forms of mental illnesses that are prevalent in our society; at the same time to raise awareness with my creation to these issues.