Riitta Paivalainen creates images of second hand clothing that has been made into sculptural pieces. She collects the clothing from flea markets and chartity shops, the images have a presence of humanity in them even though there is no models. When talking about the series the photographer said :
'Several years ago, an old black dress made of velvet caught my attention in a second-hand shop. I examined the garment carefully. There was no label. The style of the dress was from the twenties. The seams revealed the dress was handmade. The owner of the shop told me that she had bought it in Paris. I tried the dress on and it fitted me perfectly. I became intrigued by the history of the dress. Who was the woman who had had the dress made? What was her life story?'
I like the idea of using second hand clothing in my own work as each piece has a story behind it which is an advantage compared to store bought clothes. The clothing in the images symbolise the past and the stories of the unknown people who wore the clothing. By capturing the clothing in a natural environment captures the relationship between the fashion industry and nature, this emphasises the effect clothing waste can have on the environment.
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