Devious Plants

For all life, survival of the species is paramount. To achieve this the natural world is constantly adapting and evolving in response to ever-changing environments. My visual research focuses on carnivorous or ‘man-eating’ plants. I was attracted, much like their prey, by their flamboyance and ornate and decorative appearance. I was further intrigued by their devious character. These plants can act as monsters of the natural world as they use their evolutionary techniques of trickery to lure their prey in, before trapping them with their dubious surface textures. Each carnivorous plant is uniquely and skilfully designed to catch the eyes of the natural world in order to thrive. This collection celebrates a terrible, dark beauty in uniqueness. Inspired by the plants ruthless yet successful survival techniques, i have created a collection of repeat prints to portray sense of continuous growth. I also use scale to create visual impact and mirror the endearing qualities of the visual source. The printed textiles have been developed digitally while retaining hand-drawn qualities and a lively variation of marks within bold compositions to translate the personality of the carnivorous plants. Additionally, this collection builds upon the printed designs creating dynamic textures through embroidery and embellishment, to produce a bold and striking aesthetic. The collection is designed for couture inspired, high fashion womenswear. Brands like Delpozo and Richard Quinn are key influences with relation to their use of artisan hand processes and bold prints. The collection is digitally printed onto a range of tactile materials, from think linens to delicate satins, to achieve unique statement prints. The use of contrasting textural fabrics creates a tactile experience much like the plants dangerous and intelligently designed surfaces. This collection captures the devious personality of some of nature’s most intriguing plants and evokes it through bold and dramatic fashion textiles.