Wilma’s thesis studies how the feminine and masculine identities manifest in lesbians’ dressing. She feels that the social aspect is also an important part of the responsibility discussion, albeit slightly less talked about, and through her thesis work, she wants to participate in promoting the visibility of sexual and gender minorities, as well as creating space for lesbians, a group that has been stigmatised throughout history.

In her work, Wilma discusses the ways in which lesbians throughout history have broken societal and patriarchal norms regarding dressing, and the way that they reflect lesbians’ self-expression through clothing today. She looks at femininity and masculinity outside the hetero normative and explores their role in lesbian dressing and how they appear on the outside.

As a designer, she is inspired by the design and fabrics of historic clothing. She finds beauty in gothic darkness, but also in its romanticism and the security it brings. She is fascinated by the tastelessness, richness and oddities of the 1980s new romantics style, along with taking a stand against society’s gendered roles. Her aim is to produce lasting clothes with carefully thought-out structures.

The collection “OLEN AINA OLLUT” (I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN) is a stance-taking, feminine women’s collection in which Wilma draws from her research and the ways of being feminine outside male approval. The black colour refers to a historic lesbian individual who in the 1800s decided not to follow the time period’s societal norms and wore only black. Obsolete and faulty deadstock fabrics, normally ending up as waste, are used as the collection’s materials.

IG: @paatola.wilma
Email: paatolawilma@gmail.com