Behind Enemy Lines Collection
CFDA Semi-Finalist 

Inspired by the movie Allied, in which Marion Cotillard plays a double agent in WWII, I decided to Google “female spies wwii” to see if there were any true stories about real life spies. What I found was enough books and articles about the heroines of WWII to last a lifetime of study. I have recorded the stories of some of the most notable women spies and have expanded the pages of my sketchbook to include other notable groups of women that so bravely fought against unimaginable evil. I was inspired by seeing photos of these young beautiful women, gearing up in military garb, ready to fight. These images reminded me of my own first-hand experience seeing many young women lead the Black Lives Matter protests in the summer of 2020. During the protests the US itself began to feel like occupied territory, with police brutality being documented across the country. The more I reflected on these two groups of women, the more I realized that they are very much alike. Both groups of women put themselves in harm’s way to fight against racist, brutal government forces that have threatened to wipe out whole ethnic groups. These women, separated by 75 years, are united in their brave, selfless spirits. This collection is an homage to these women, fighting for justice and freedom for future generations.