THE RUMOR OF REAL THINGS was my first-ever runway with STITCH FSU. I created the skirt from scratch and altered the fit, length, and sleeves of the shirt. Through cyanotyped, laser-engraved, and embroidered imagery, I designed a physical representation of gender’s divine flux. The images on the skirt are organized into a tier system of masculinity, gender-queerness, and femininity, connected by an altered image of Sleeping Hermaphroditus. The masculine images are tighter to my body to represent my AMAB nonbinary identity and the rigidity of masculine gender roles, while the feminine images are looser and towards the bottom to represent the looseness and flow of beauty and womanhood. The shirt includes a hand-drawn, machine-embroidered abstract heart on the front right panel and the word “BE” spelled out in grommets on the back panel to portray the connection of human beings outside of gendered concepts. Additionally, the front panel includes a reel of all images on the skirt to make the piece cohesive, as well as grommets and ribbons on the sleeves to mimic a glamorized straight jacket. Overall this design is directly correlative with my experience not only in my queerness but in my body as an AMAB plus-sized person.