1949-1984

Alexandra Hodgson’s ‘1948-1984’ collection draws inspiration from George Orwell’s classic dystopian novel ‘1984’. The novel was a large part of her life and a nod to her more academic education.From here, Hodgson designed inspired by the 40s style, when the novel was published and the 80s style that developed later. Along with these styles, her collection was further influenced by the themes of oppression and control explored in the novel. ‘1949-84’ accumulates these elements to produce a striking womenswear collection. During the development of her collection, Alexandra Hodgson focused heavily on hand-createing prints using lino. These prints included CCTV cameras, eyes, TVs and a George Orwell portrait. These were continuously developed as the collection evolved. Hodgson chose to use a variety of natural canvas and metallic spandex for this collection, representing the natural resources the novel’s characters would have had access to, as opposed to the vivid, disco-themed materials commonly used in the 1980s. Further, she experimented with the use of large buckles, custom made to fit the outfits which represented ‘1984’’s key theme of oppression. Alexandra Hodgson created a distinctive collection that unifies both feminine and masculine silhouettes. It boasts styles from a variety of eras, resulting in a mash-up of styles and themes. It presents the concept of oppression and governmental control in an ever developing world of ‘Big Brother’ where no one goes unwatched, just as Orwell predicted.