Untouchable: Unconventional Eyewear - Concept Selection + Refinement

When thinking about the unconventional eyewear selection I was starting to get uninspired with my sketches because there was no real concept behind them... Unfortunately that was the class I missed for family reasons so I didn't get feedback on it. In my own time, I kept sketching past #14 and came up with the idea of the Untouchable Indian Royalty. 

In Indian society there is a caste system and a class known as the untouchables. It is heartbreaking, these people are completely ostracised and oppressed because of their perceived status.  Now, the system is illegal in India, but the reality of society means the lowest are still a broken class. I think there is opportunity to change the narrative of who is untouchable. 

When researching this topic I came across this man named Ambedkar. He was born in the caste that was classified as untouchable, but he overcame the cage he was placed in. Ambedkar became a leader of human rights in India and a key person in drafting India's 1940 constitution. He wrote about the tragic effects of discrimination and the trauma that results from the caste system in india 

It doesn't really make that much sense though, because I want to make something the Indian lady gaga would wear... but we can ignore these base aesthetic motivations and pretend it's truly about the story of an untouchable transcending their cage and wearing something that presents a cutting social commentary on class... Right? Sure!

Below are some refined sketches that show the hoops or bands with the traditional jewellery patterns that will be applied to each band. . 

It would be awesome if each band could look ornate and woven like this Instagram post: