Skyla Towner
Fashion Design BA Hons
Regent's University London
Graduates: 2024
Specialisms: Sustainable Fashion/Textiles
My location: London, United Kingdom
Skyla Towner
First Name: Skyla
Last Name: Towner
University / College: Regent's University London
Course / Program: Fashion Design BA Hons
Graduates: 2024
Specialisms: Sustainable Fashion/Textiles
My Location: London, United Kingdom
About
Bio Skyla Towner studied Fine Art and Film in Los Angeles before moving to London to study Fashion Design. Born into a creative family, Skyla was surrounded by art, music and film growing up, which has made a lasting impression on her. She has always had a love for recycling and upcycling within her art, breathing new life into objects – from repurposed garments, wedding veils and jewelry, to curtains, blankets, and seat covers. Through this, she developed a keen interest in diverse ways to be sustainable, and endeavors to maintain ethical accountability in her creativity. Skyla’s strengths lie in her tactile skills such as draping, fabric choices, and her resourcefulness with material. She is conscious of pattern cutting techniques to ensure there is as little waste as possible. Her aim is to demonstrate the ways in which repurposed fashion and using recycled materials can be designed in ways that create new, exciting, and contemporary garments.
Sacred Bodies is a celebration of women and their connection to nature. Skyla is inspired by Ana Mendieta’s ‘Silhouetta’ series, where the artist ritualistically inserted herself in different elements of nature leaving her silhouette to erode in its natural course. This collection feels similarly sacred and feminine. Puffed Juliet sleeves and Pagan style dresses create a Wiccan aesthetic that runs throughout. Neolithic symbols are reinterpreted into the garments through style lines that frame the body. Drawing from mid-century American Western farmwear, and historical Southern gothic, the designs have a rural and rustic feel. Bodices and skirts feature lace up detailing to allow versatile fitting to all bodies. Using second hand and repurposed garments, the designer has created her own textiles through layering and patchwork. Fabrics have been hand dyed, producing an earthy colour palette. This dark aesthetic is intended to celebrate all parts of life including death and the life cycle of material things.