Arts Thread

I gain inspiration from the potent relevance of the past to contemporary life and my creative process often reflects and evolves through my observations on philosophical, societal and cultural levels. In this collection I've interacted with symbolism from Heraldry, Mythology and Contemporary Culture to develop a visual language that is layered to communicate 'haiku' messages in my textiles that empower the wearer through intention in the quantum field.

This collection was inspired by the fractal interconnectedness of the quantum field. Society has a personality that can be swayed by popular vote, and the collective whole may feed back to the singular individual, urging them to be an active part of their times, and feeding them with the spirit of their generation. This collection was developed during the isolation of the first lockdown of the pandemic, with only a scanner, low end ink jet printer and silk, cotton and mesh glued to A4 paper to bring the vision of my designs to life. This was a challenge shared by many designers at the time and we are all perhaps stronger for having faced these challenges and overcome them. I later made hand rolled digitally printed silk scarves and jeans from this collection in a range of colourways.

The Kal Yuga scarf tells the story of our times - in a way not dissimilar from the Bayeux Tapestry, or war rugs from Afghanistan. Inspired by Dante’s Inferno and the seven deadly sins, it is a Bomb That Looks Like Candy in that it connects with the inner child to engage the awareness of the viewer, and then explodes in visual texture as a societal dark comedy. I used a scarf as a timeless canvas to illustrate the world we live in today, with love for all sentient beings, and a deep curiousity for the good, the bad, and the ugly we experience in our world. Designed to be worn in many ways to display different illustrative elements, if worn as a head scarf, the central Kal figure's eyes peer directly above the wearer's own...

'Sheep in Wolf's Clothing' duals as a tribute to Hunter Thompson, legendary Gonzo journalist, and to all other rough and tumble romantics across time. The nature of this collection began with the desire for a debaucherous, yet educated look and an eccentric yet classy look. With the American dream in mind, I used the writing of Hunter Thompson, other literary geniuses, as well as my own personal romantic infatuations, to create a womenswear collection drawing inspiration from menswear in the 60s, 70s, and 80s. The idea was to create a sexually androgynous power clothing collection for women who desire to feel eccentric, offbeat, yet completely in control of themselves and every situation. I drew inspiration from poker players, gamblers, and Las Vegas grunge characters, and from Hunter Thompson’s most famous work ‘Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas’. I wanted to play into the apocalyptic fantasy land, which I feel is a timelessly popular and contemporary romanticism. Hunter Thompson was described by many as a moralist posing as an immoralist. He was a journalist who spent a lot of time consorting with politicians, rock stars of many shapes and forms, and particularly the Hells Angels. Like a sheep in wolf's clothing, he lived and walked with monsters, and actually, monsters wanted Hunter to think they were cool. As a career woman, being a sheep in wolf's clothing can be a tremendous asset and can aid in keeping one's soul alive in the face of reality.

Maya Angelou’s 'I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings' erupted in my mind. I saw why the caged bird sang, and this is what I saw. A housewife of the 50’s lives on television, wine, and pills to blind herself to the bars that hold her. Brought up to be a daughter, wife, and mother, nothing more, nothing less, she had always been so, but it was taking its toll on her soul. She listened to the radio and it told her she could die tomorrow. Communism and bombs, politics and songs that rise up in the dark and take hold. The sound flowed from the television, the newspaper, and through the radio. The sound came in as millions of people; the sound of the 60’s was rising, and in spite of the bars which were holding her, the flight of the 60’s bathed her with light. The 60s were coming and opportunity was booming, fantasies were erupting, and freedom was conquering; unity, justice, feminism, and power to the people. Re-birthed from the ashes, her life just begun, she follows the sound of the 60’s into the sun.

‘Romanticism as Activism’ is a knitwear collection inspired by Iceland’s obsession with elves, nymphs and fairies. Over the years, Iceland has drawn media attention, as fairies have a habit of getting involved with Iceland's politics. Belief in fairies has lived and breathed in Iceland’s population for hundreds of years, so much so that today over half of Iceland’s population will not deny the Hundufolk’s existence. During my research, I synesthetically travelled to Iceland, visited bars in Reykjavik, drank whiskey with trolls and elves, and listened to electronic trance. Getting politically passionate about the endangered fairy habitat, we talked action. I imagined fairy-human hybrids knowingly, or unknowingly, wading through the Icelandic nightlife. Bjork’s energy, along with some of the Icelandic girlfriends I’ve had over the years, had an impact. They acted as naughty, giggling, millennial pixies in my mind, instructing me with their colours, textures, and vibes. There is nothing quite like an Icelandic lass. I also read articles such as ‘Icelander’s Protest a Road That Would Disturb the Fairies’ and ‘Iceland Elves and the March Against NATO.' When questioned about the ‘hidden people’ many Icelanders will describe the consciousness that lives in the land, and the feeling of being watched, which comes while hiking across the surreal volcanic landscape.