One of the greatest misconceptions of survivors of sexual assault is that they "were asking for it," by how they were acting, or, even more baffling, what they were wearing. Were they dressed in too provocative a look? Too skimpy? Too suggestive? Somehow, over the years, fashion and consent have become so interrelated, making a woman's ability to freely sport an outfit of her choosing difficult. And that's where British artist Sarah Maple and her new feminist project, The Anti-Rape Cloak, come into play.Maple is not unfamiliar with creating art that sparks conversation (The Independent dubbed her "the heir to Tracey Emin's throne"), particularly when it comes to the the role (and treatment) of females in modern society. And it was the idea that women are often blamed for their own attacks that led Maple to create this piece."It's very evident from the abuse feminists get online that many people think that we are 'making a fuss about nothing' and we should be quiet," Maple tells Refinery29 about how society treats not just survivors of sexual assault, but women in general. "I have had many friends — a disturbing number of women — go through sexual assault in some way. And sadly, none of them reported it to the police. I think part of the reason for that was because they felt they were making a fuss, or had somehow brought it on themselves. This really upsets me."After participating in a feminist activist artist residency in London, which looked at the Suffragettes, and "how people patronisingly referred to their protests as a nuisance," Maple became interested in the notion of "victim-blaming" — and how unfortunately (and scarily) prevalent it is today:"I was reading Everyday Sexism by Laura Bates, and I realized how many women have gone through this, and how the blame always seems to be put on the victim — by both the abuser and often by the victim themselves," she says. "It's very odd that women are encouraged to be sexy — we are constantly told by the media that our sexiness dictates our value and worth, but then if we dress sexily, we deserve to be raped. It's a contradiction that I just can't get my head around. It's also ridiculous to think that a bit of female flesh on view turns men into savage beasts who must have sex right away. It's a damaging idea for both sexes!"