Ornamentation in Abstraction

Category: Apparel

Ornamentation in Abstraction is an investigation into turning the architectural into the natural, drawing inspiration from the Victorian architecture of Kensington. The grandeur and opulence of Victorian design was routed in reassuring the wealthy of their social status, using mass consumption of materialistic objects in order to fit in. This concept follows a similar trend to current social ideologies, where social media perpetuates fast fashion trend cycles and buying products to show off rather than for your own enjoyment. Therefore, this design explores turning a symbol of ornamentation into something real and tangible, encouraging people to wear what makes them feel empowered and using the bespoke nature of sustainable design to stand out in a crowd. The visual design is a translation of this greater concept, using the repetition of a window motif and alternating their orientation to showcase the architectural side and the natural side, both being polar opposites yet connected. This piece is part of a greater collection made from completely plant-based materials, both through fibre and natural dyes. Throughout this project, I have explored how to create soft yet vibrant natural colour to provide sustainable design with a more romantic and playful colour palette, as opposed to neutrals. The discovery of weld and sappanwood have particularly defined my collection, the weld resulting in an almost neon yellow, whilst the sappanwood can provide an array of rich pinks and purples, a fantastic alternative to cochineal. The hand spun yarn furthers this romantic feel, using the lustre of lotus and bamboo fibres to provide an elegance, reminiscent of the golden ornamentation that adorns the architectural inspiration. I have fallen in love with spinning my own yarn as a way to connect the maker to the customer, the tangibility and therapeutic nature of the repetitive action helping to ground the design in reality. Sustainable design is undeniably important for me to consider as an emerging textile designer, and through my specialism of knit, I will continue to investigate natural fibres and dyes to create bespoke and unique designs.