Wearable Art

I am a manic kind of creative person. I always have 100 projects on the go at once, all kinds of supplies poured out my studio floor in little organised sections but one chaotic mess. And I love it. It's the environment I truly thrive in, my own creative space to make birthday cards, wire fairy wings, clay mushrooms or wacky collages but mostly, to make the clothes, I dream of.

Sewing gives me the ability to be creative and get into a loving flow where I make something fabulous out of nothing. It brings me so much joy to make clothing with my own hands and put my label on the seam. To me, there is no better feeling than completing a garment that I made myself. And a close second is when someone asks, "where did you get that?" and I get to reply, "I made it" with pride. And at this point, I have made everything under the sun. Floor-length dresses, mini skirts, sequin gloves, mesh bodysuits, leather pants and trench coats. If I can see in my mind, I will make it happen even if it doesn’t turn how exactly as envisioned! Either way, I get to produce something special and unique, plus learn a few lessons along the way.

The inspirations for each one of my creations reflect the uniqueness of the piece, mixing parts from my life experiences. From my love of underground hip-hop, the rebelliousness of punk culture, the magic of Australian festival season or the 2000s era of my childhood. The inspiration comes from all kinds of places.

Like if I hear a song that I instantly connect with, I will go off in a daydream and visualise a scenario to match the mood and whatever feeling it evokes within me. Which obviously calls for meticulous detail into dreaming the perfect outfit to express everything at once. Going through my collection of vintage and recycled fabric tickles my brain and ideas seem to bubble over until I start making my way to the cutting board. Social media impacts me greatly too as I absorb the work of so many like-minded individuals and gather eccentric and unusual ideas for my designs.

I don’t stick to one specific genre or aesthetic because my world is so diverse, mixing various evocative influences with my day to day experiences. One day I am utterly in love with natures textures and earthy colours, then the next I'm absorbed by a piece of lace from the 1950s I found at the second-hand store. I love how my mind works, I truly believe I see things in such a unique way. I can look at a typically ugly shirt that your grandmas wouldn’t even like and I will see endless possibilities and a fun challenge. Reimagining the old discarded items into something beautiful brings fulfilment and drives my environmental activism. We are sourced with an abundance of textile and if I can transform something discarded by its previous owner into a new garment that will be loved by someone else, then thats all I can ask for.

I haven't found my "style" yet but I think my style is creating from the heart and whether that is a conceptual avant-garde piece inspired by Yohji Yamamoto or dying a silk dress with left-over onion skins and flowers I picked on my morning walk, its explorational and me. I love making clothes with all my heart and I honestly feel a world of gratitude every day I get to spend in my studio. Fashion is pretty magical, I create wearable art that is used as a tool of self-expression and I think that's pretty special.