Michaela Stark is an Australian visual artist, couturier, and performance artist based in London. Treating the human form itself as her primary sculptural medium, her practice directly confronts rigid cultural constructs of beauty and femininity. By repurposing historical corsetry and couture techniques to physically sculpt flesh, accentuating traits society often asks us to conceal, such as belly fat, uneven breasts, and the vulva, Stark reframes perceived vulnerabilities into visceral sites of power, beauty, and self-ownership.

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Artistic Practice

Centering the body as her primary medium, Stark’s practice spans intimate self-portraiture, live performance, and couture (often presented as framed sculptural artefacts), reclaiming the space where artist, object, and muse meet.

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Driven by a rigorous mastery of couture construction, Stark reimagines corsetry not only as a tool for bodily manipulation and liberation, but as fine art objects in their own right. Designed as lasting physical artefacts, her corsets exist both on and off the body. Every bespoke piece is hand-tailored using delicate silks, custom hand-dyed textiles, and intricate embellishments—turning both raw flesh and structured fabric into active, sculptural canvases.

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Stark’s work drives concrete institutional change: from collaborating with Victoria’s Secret to broaden representation for trans and plus-sized figures, to pushing historic museums to physically adapt their spaces for real human forms.

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Diffusion Line: Panty

Translating this same ethos into accessible everyday wear, Stark founded Panty—a diffusion line that brings the body-celebrating philosophy and craftsmanship of her artisanal practice into wearable forms.

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Editorial & Creative Direction​

Michaela also works in editorial as a stylist, creative director and / or model, having her work published in Vogue Italia, New York Times, Dazed, Perfect Magazine, Paper Magazine, Document Journal, Luncheon Magazine, Vogue Australia, Vogue Russia, Vogue CS, Vogue Ukraine and featured on NYT, The Cut, iD, Forbes, Another Mag, 1 Granary, Harpers Bazaar UK, Vogue US, Vogue UK etc.

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