About
designer
I am a Manchester-based designer.
I studied at manchester school of art, the art school at manchester metropolitan university. I was selected in my final year to present my collection (which i attained a first mark for) at London graduate fashion week. I was shortlisted as a standout student, out of thousands from all across the country.
I came out of university with the intention of learning about running a business and therefore went on to further study a business course, attended weekly support groups and worked in retail at the same time.
I like working with different fabrics, but particularly silk, denim and leather and then exhausting their possibilities and uses. I like to play around with traditional, generic construction and juxtaposing it with unconventional applications and fits.
I became fascinated with working with leather whilst in my final year at university, because of the complexities of the material. I went on to study the creative leather applications short course at the University of Northampton to gain a better understanding of the process and physical characteristics of leather. I also won the leathersellers award whilst in my final year which helped fund my collection.
I did a collaborative project with a student from Lisaa School of art & design in Paris, where I designed and made a leather bag for my partners' final collection. This bag was presented in a public exhibition in Manchester along with other pieces of work from creative students in manchester.
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I am inspired by street culture, by young voices, politics, oppression, anyone who is shouting but not being heard.
I am heavily inspired by sportswear, hip hop, the music industry, especially from the beginning, the 70s through 80s, where hip hop began, where freedom of expression was fully embraced.
Fashion was experimental, customised and important to a persons reputation and opinion.
Where dance replaced physical fights, music became a place of gathering and showing off, and collaboration.
people supported one another amongst the destruction and violence within the towns and without fear expressed themselves creatively on the streets.
art was seen on walls, trains, clothes, with statements and messages.
changes to history being made each day by strong communities whom all have the same desire to beat the system, make a change and resist the negativity which naturally coincides with hardship and poverty.
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when researching the history of hip hop, I started to relate and recognise the similarities between the past and the present. I began to look into who wants to be heard and who isn't listening, to notice, that the separation between the different social classes, gender, race and age have always been an accompanying differentiator.
This is what is always present in my research, this is my muse, and this is whom I design for.
Education
Manchester School of Art,
Manchester Metropolitan University,
BA(Hons) Fashion