Ironick

Iron holds the body. Irony holds the dream.

From a photograph of the Williamsburg Bridge to abstraction, to embodiment.

Nicky Conti wearing the Ironick couture piece, close-up showing the structured corset with geometric lines, mesh and boning on one arm, and a sculptural headpiece inspired by the Williamsburg Bridge
Nicky Conti wearing the Ironick couture look on the Williamsburg Bridge, including a structured corset, mesh arm detail, black dyed jeans, and high-heeled ankle boots

The bridge demands speed.

The body resists.

The dream gleams from afar.

The crossing is the trial.

Nicky Conti in the Ironick look framed by the steel beams of the Williamsburg Bridge, wearing a structured corset with diagonal lines and mesh detailing around one arm
Nicky Conti wearing the Ironick piece, close-up of a sleeve constructed with mesh and boning, tied with black piping ribbon
Nicky Conti walking along the Williamsburg Bridge in the Ironick couture piece, with a fitted corset, mesh and boning on one arm, and a headpiece echoing the bridge’s arch
Back view of Nicky Conti walking away on the Williamsburg Bridge wearing the Ironick look, showing the sculptural headpiece and fitted corset structure
Sketches of the Ironick outfit, showing abstracted lines and structural forms inspired by a photograph of the Williamsburg Bridge, translating architecture into garment design.

Steel is reimagined into form, lines are pulled into tension, and structure is built to both restrict and define the body.

Hands of textile artist Sarah Esmoingt shaping a mesh face mask with black ribbon piping, carefully constructing the structured piece that completes the Ironick look.
Close-up of a white corset with black ribbons and boning running diagonally across the bodice, creating a structured, geometric pattern inspired by the steel lines of the Williamsburg Bridge.
On-location shot of Nicky Conti wearing the Ironick outfit on the Williamsburg Bridge, with photographer Laur Loncar and videographer Emeline Lotherington capturing the final embodiment during the shoot.