Design Challenge and Design Ideas

“My approach to design starts out with an artistic vision for a garment that I work to realise using a combination of technology and handcrafting to help me achieve the sculptural forms, shapes and structures that are the key features of my organic style of knitwear.

Epoch I is the first instalment of the Epoch Collection – it comprises six menswear styles of knitwear made from ethical, sustainable fibres. My aim with this collection was to mark an evolution in my work with the creation of pieces that seek to respect the body of the wearer and bring my design to more people without comprising on the original design concept”

How the brief was fulfilled

“The finished pieces of Epoch I have a unique lightness to them thanks to the gauge of knit used – this means that they feel lighter overall, they drape fluidly on the body and are ideal for layering while still having the structure to carry my brand techniques and unique design.
I make garments with an intensive hands on process using a technique that allows me to achieve the unique sculptural features of my garments including lace perforations, contrasting yarns and unexpected angles. I use these features as part of the identity of my work and for this collection I had to explore and push the techniques I use to get the more relaxed finishes and shapes that I was seeking for the collection. I explored ideas with knit-sampling and prototyping – documenting outcomes and finishes on the road to achieving the vision I wanted to achieve to get the point where I felt that I had demonstrated a genuine evolution in my knitwear. It takes intensive work to achieve a handmade, high quality look while using knitting machine technology to push the limits of knit overall to achieve an original design concept. This exploration and intensive work helped me find new ways of making the yarns and techniques perform to allow to me reach the relaxed finishes that mark the collection.
I maintained my core focus on achieving sustainability during this process by unravelling and reusing all yarn back into the final garment so that there was no cutting and zero waste. The yarns used in the collection are ethically sourced, Responsible Wool Standard certified and have a fully traceable supply chain.
The designs are controlled but understated and generally monochromatic, enhancing and highlighting the lines and linear patterns that are a feature of my style. The mathematical precision of these geometric features blends and contrasts with the way the garments form, drape around and envelope the body. I want to demonstrate that it is possible to fuse marketable forms with ambitious artistic garments that can be valued for the skills in production and quality of materials transcending fashion seasons.”