AUDACITY: Up-cycled Graduate Collection

My graduate collection was heavily inspired by the punk rock subculture. It is about energy, rebellion, freedom and individuality in a world where one should be a ‘good, polite girl’. Looking at renaissance paintings and exploring the change in attitudes over time prompted the concept of merging the idea of femininity and the punk subculture. I incorporated traditional versus contemporary ideology of who the ‘woman’ is, should and can be, using various reconstructing, layering, dying and painting techniques. The resulting garments demonstrate the fusion of contrasting attitudes, between the idea of the ‘good, polite girl’ and the rebellious punk, with the latter playing the conquering lead. I have always been interested in sustainability and how I, as a designer, can positively impact our planet and reduce the amount of textile waste in landfills; as well as encouraging the move away from fast fashion. For this collection, I decided to focus on upcycling, through reconstructing old charity shop garments and layering, dying and spray painting the new silhouettes to give the old worn out pieces a new lease of life.