With the inspiration, Women of Communism developed “Double Identity / Podwojna Tozsamosc”, a film collaboration with Karolina Zmarlak and directors Jenna Elizabeth and Matt Kliegman. The film is a visual expression of the Fall/Winter 2011 collection, where the clothing comes alive with the intensity of the portrayed action.

This season was especially personal to Karolina, as the inspiration stemmed from her childhood growing up in Communist Poland. From an early age, the designer learned how a strict society can challenge a woman’s individuality, and stifle her freedom to imagine and create her own reality. Women in these environments are pushed to search for means of expression and humanism, and often do so at the expense of personal conflict and among one another; this struggle often results in strong individual identities.

This film was a unique opportunity to explore identity through restraint. Ultimately, the pro/antagonists challenge this idea with each other in various vignettes – the blindfold being a various connecting thread between the realms. Each scene offered a different source of suffocation, being culturally blinded by a different root of conformity.

Credits:
Title: “Double Identity ”
Karolina Zmarlak FW11
Directed by Jenna Elizabeth and Matt Kliegman
Produced by Jesse Keyes
Starring: Flynn and Anna Schilling

More information at www.karolinazmarlak.com / www.steamclam.com / www.jennaelizabethstudio.com