What is HMP?
The Huddled Masses Project is an interview-based design and editorial project investigating topics of identity and global movement. The project attempts to use the costume design process and aesthetics to address issues like inherent bias and prejudice by highlighting the diverse stories many of us as humans share with the legacies of a global movement. HMP seeks to reclaim the question from its complicated and often racist legacy; “Where are you from?” and provide answers highlighting the bright and complex answer contained in each of us. Started as a protest project to explore the relationship between immigration and American Identity following the 2016 American election, as well as a growing global culture of nationalism and white supremacy, The Huddled Masses Project has expanded internationally. Looking at movement as a global and historical phenomenon and focused on telling stories through garments, bringing people together through design and centering the unique experiences of all contributors.
How it works?
Each shoot results from a collaborative interview process between the HMP team and the model. Often over wine or takeout, the model gets to share their story, the multitude of places, experiences, and communities that compose someone’s identity. The designs aim to lionize the visible and invisible lineages we carry and combat identity-based bias and cultural homogeneity, amplifying the individuals who have lived them.
The model and designer work together to tell that story through clothes and images; often, three rounds of drawing and design take place before being finalized. Models never wear anything they don’t feel is appropriate or represents them. They have complete autonomy over their body, image, and story. Shoot days are celebrated and often include family-style meals with the whole crew, collaborative playlists, and champagne toasts at the end of the shoot day. The team hopes there is joy and a renewed sense of community in addition to beautiful and illuminating photographs.
Costumes and Politics?
The Huddled Masses Project also sees each design as an opportunity to to investigate how narrative costume design techniques common in the western entertainment industry can be appropriated as a method of creative activism: Viewing the costume design process as anti-bias praxis.
Can unique custom garments developed from personal narratives and lived experiences disrupt the wearers’ encounters with (identity) bias?”
Can the methods of costume design when re-appropriated for personal narratives create space and opportunity for greater understanding and connection between people? Is the creation of that space safe?
Acknowledgements
HMP wants to acknowledge that the project has been conducted on unceded lands across the United States.
Also, not everyone has the desire, privilege or safety to be this open and candid with their identity and it’s expression. While the project's goal is to foster that openness we additionally remain open to the myriad of ways this can be accomplished beyond this project.
The topics covered in the interviews with each model, and reflected though the designs are more extensive that the experiences of any one collaborator on the project, and are only possible as design because of the trust and collaboration between model and designer. This is an imperfect system, but ultimately a system who’s goal is positivity, joyful and celebratory. These are goals it’s better to fall short of that not strive for at all.
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Contact Us.
ehuddledmassesstyle@gmail.com