2023

The Awakening Conscience

BFA Graduate Collection

This collection is focused on recovering the authenticity one observes in Old World objects to create contemporary pieces of lasting significance; works that both honor and engage with the material and the consumer. I consciously reject corporate methods of design and production, and, instead, I aim to create pieces that forge a stronger connection to the natural world, from which I and many others feel increasingly alienated. To achieve this, I designed four distinct looks that draw technique and inspiration from pre-industrial European design and craft, specifically of Medieval and Celtic eras—periods of Western European history where the designer and maker were strongly linked and material limitations imparted a uniqueness to each piece. I combine craft and allegorical symbolism to transform valuable materials into emotionally-resonant, wearable pieces: meticulously detailed garments, embedded with precious gemstones and ornate metallic sculptures, where the embellishments function as works of jewelry themselves. Rich colors are achieved through plant-dyed fabrics; the pieces are composed of wholly natural fibers, like wool, silk, and linen. Mythic imagery, plant life, and other natural forms are suggested in symmetrical yet imperfect prints, in embroidery, and in jewelry. These choices bestow a personal, irreplicable quality to the pieces- reflecting the idea that neither I, nor those that wear my garments, can be mass-produced and retrieving for both myself and the wearer, the spiritual, essential aspect of fashion.