About Me
Hi I'm Ellen, I'm a Fashion Design graduate of Heriot-Watt University.
Throughout my life fashion has always been a great interest, something I was curious about. Getting older it became a passion for me and something I wanted to pursue. Attending university to study opened up the industry of fashion to me. I was able to learn many, various skills and further my passion for the industry.
I have always loved to learn and to have a full overview of everything I do. Because of this I developed a keen interest in fashion history, I enjoy researching the subject in my free time, accumulating knowledge. Fashion history is very influential on me and my work, it is something I look towards quite often for inspiration when researching or designing. I enjoy the process of designing and construction respectively, there are so many interesting stages you cover for potentially just one garment.
INSPIRATION
The initial inspiration for this collection was mental health and to create a statement.
Picking inspiration for this collection stemmed from something close to the heart. Mental health can be a difficult thing to deal with; for some reason the subject has become a 'taboo' subject. It should be advocated and talked about. It's this thought that lead to the collection becoming a statement, trying to break down the stigma around mental health issues.
For the style of the collection, I looked to streetwear. This stemmed from the fact mental health issues can happen to anyone. Streetwear is main-market clothing and can be worn by anyone and everyone, in a similar that mental health can happen to anyone and everyone. It's from these ideas that I combined the two to create the base/inspiration for my collection. The mental health art I researched became the core inspiration for the colour palette of my collection, brining darker tones and contrast.
MY WORK
PORTFOLIOS
Digital line-up displaying my full collection
The first 2 outfits of my collection
I used both male and female models for neutrality
Outfit 1 consists of trousers and a crop top
Exposed zips detail garments, linking to the topic
A male model conveys the gender neutral stance
The outfit is an over-shirt, trousers and t-shirt.
Graffiti wording covers all the garments
I experimented with black and white photos
And experimentation with model placement
I designed bucket hats to emphasise the streetwear
This outfit is a boiler style jumpsuit and t-shirt
Lines across the garments create a trapped feeling
The last outfit is a collared shirt and trousers
Garments were loose fitting for the neutral style
subtle embroidery highlights the words
Black and white images created great contrast
Accessories connected the spring/summer season
My personal favourite shot of the photoshoot
DETAIL
This collection is a statement and a advocate for mental health.
In a way the collection developed on it's own but the core of the collection is to break down the taboo stigma surrounding mental health, graffiti style wording is sprayed across the garments, with words/feelings relating to those who struggle. The lines represent feeling trapped within yourself, trying to emulate how those may feel when dealing with issues. Many subtle/small details link back or have a small message to the collection topic, each part of the collection has meaning.
“Happiness is the secret to all beauty. There is no beauty without happiness.” - Christian Dior
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