Sleeping Beauties

“And then I think of one who, in her youthful beauty, passed away,
The delicate, humble bloom that grew and withered by my side.
In the cold, damp earth we laid her, as the forests shed their leaves,
And we mourned that one so lovely should live such a fleeting life:
Yet it seemed fitting that someone, like that dear friend of ours,
So gentle and beautiful, should fade away with the flowers.”
— B.C. William, The Death of the Flowers (1832)

This collection centers on the concept of a master collection. In Deference, a young girl willingly sacrifices herself, surrendering to eternal sleep so that a woman may awaken.

Marius presents the central figure as a perfectly passive woman who remains motionless in the gallery, frozen across time. Her vibrant hues gradually fade as she transforms into an undead form. The only vestige of life is her blood, visible as it threads its way through the seams of her garments. Trapped in an eternal timeline, the folds of her dresses embody the pleating of time itself, while her back exudes an icy, austere, clinical simplicity.

Despite the promise held within her form, her body remains restrained beneath the fabric, constrained by corsets. She waits submissively for an awakening—by a prince, a beast (perhaps a vampire), an elder, a young woman, or an old man. This collection draws inspiration from the timeless tale of The Sleeping Beauty, horror films, the creations of Madame Grès, and the sculptures of Pablo Atchugarry.