Frances O’Leary is a multidisciplinary artist and designer from London with a specialism in womenswear. Influenced by second wave feminist theory and textile centered art, Frances’s work sits at the interaction of clothing and sculpture. Exploring gender, social norms and absurdity, Frances uses soft sculptural forms, image making and found objects to interrogate themes of expectation vs reality, perpetuation and society’s relationship with the female form. Frances has a specific interest in fashion history and seminal feminist literature exploring the construct of femininity and the use of fashion in the division of genders and the social classes. While women have been objectified for centuries, the rise of modern femininity following the Middle Ages, created ideals that leave a lasting imprint today. These ideals of domesticity, motherhood, docility and servitude reside in the web of systems that still leave us far short of equality. The gender pay gap, maternity discrimination, period poverty, “the pink tax" and sexual harassment still sit at the centre of our daily lives, at a time when violence towards women and girls is a national emergency. At the time of the introduction of modern femininity, fashion imposed many of these ideals, forcing many women into restriction, discomfort and immobility. To be awkward and semi mobile lends to time sat down and at home. While men, were afforded complete freedom of movement. It is of particular interest, the space that was created around a woman's body during this time. Frances reimagines this space, making wire and naturally dyed silk structures. The structures designed to be both sculpture and fashion reference this point in fashion history and also the perceived freedom of a kite. From a materials perspective, Frances woks with pre-existing objects and fabrics, using reclamation, recycling and dissection as core values of her design and making practice. The designer is also a natural dye specialist and all recent works are hand dyed using these methods. Having worked in the industry as a womenswear designer for 15 years prior to her MA at the RCA , she has dedicated over a decade towards positive change within her own work and that of the fashion industry with regard to the overuse of new raw resources. An advocate for reuse, zero waste and repair, Frances hopes to see genuine change in the industry within the next decade. Frances is supported by the Logitech Diversity in Art and Design Scholarship 2026.