Drug Mules in the past have smuggled drugs by strapping it to their bodies, surgically implanting it under their skin, consuming packages or just hidden in their luggage. The solution I came up with, was to create a camouflage capsule which appears as a fashion decorative feature. Inspired by a Japanese artist, Mariko Kusumoto. She created forms that had organic looking shapes made from fibre which I strongly connected with. This process led me further into researching the technique shibori, which is a traditional Japanese fabric manipulation that range different methods. I focused on the Kumo shibori method, which uses found objects wrapped in cloth and held in place with thread that is further taken to an oven or boiling water. I have created two types of capsules with this technique. One being decorative and the other functional. Using marbles, I have wrapped them in different blues to purple tones of mesh that I placed with thread and put in the oven. I then insert a capsule inside the formed sphere once taking out all marbles, and I tied up a few knots with thread to hold the pill once cut away from the rest of the mesh in being a singular pod. With the functional capsules, I used the same method however shaped my desired shaped objects made from clay to a bigger scale, to hold the vaccine pods. With these techniques, the drug itself appears camouflaged within the fabric and unnoticeable. Shibori being originated from Japan, I have visioned 2068 to be trending the technique and being seen much more in fashion. Especially, with the drug mule outfit being worn at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting.

 

When thinking about how the drug mule would distribute the medicine, the capsules had to be detachable from the garments as easily as possible. I trailed hook and eyes, however it was to complex and fiddley when trying to pull off the pod. So I resolved the functionality with the use of Velcro, which is much easier to rip off and distribute. I have incorporated a secretive hidden panel on the right side of the garment that unzips on the inside view of lining that open up to more vaccine drugs. Here they are also attached with Velcro. The method of detaching the pods reflects back to [PART1] abundant symbiosis- focusing on plant matter and a plant itself. Inspired by the simple view of picking off a leaf from a stem, and how easy that is- dictated the functionality of my vaccine pods and its detachable method of the garment. I have created a head scarf that wraps around the lower head/neck in some form of protection from germs and natural flora present in the air.

 

The chosen environments that I shoot my video and photographs convey the type of aesthetic visioned in 2068, with a world that’s gone so dull and dejected. As well as portraying the host government building being an unterminated, hygienic setting.

 My designed speculative future concept is called Capsule.