Miss Exploitation: Innocence Lost
This toddler sized dress with its sweet silhouette, so typical of little girl dresses, is made from discarded (yes, washed) lingerie and garter belts, staples of the sex trade. They are layered over multiple tutus used under such childhood dresses. Many viewers will find these textiles uncomfortable, and so they should, as the topic itself is uncomfortable. Miss Exploitation represents children being sexualized by adults and which may lead their trafficking into the underbelly of our society. Concealing the lingerie under four layers of tulle does somewhat “hide” the undesirable parts but can’t completely remove it from our sight. The pocket contains cards with contact information to report trafficking or get help. They are free to take as needed. A very faint message is stitched into the hem on the back view.