About Me
Hi, I’m Isabella Willow Gorman, a womenswear fashion design graduate.
Gorman is a womenswear designer whose ethos is to infuse fun into fashion. She loves dynamic silhouettes with playful proportions and creates versatile pieces that can be dressed up or down. Her bold, energetic fabrics, prints, and textiles reflect her belief that life should be a celebration. Each piece aim to elevate everyday wear and reflect how you feel.
Her strengths lie in physical mediums from 2D to 3D, transforming designs into creative pattern cutting, construction and sewing. Gorman has a broad skill set from innovative draping to technically accurate tailoring. Her background in art informs her approach and method to experimentation in other areas of interest including fabric sourcing, abstract illustrations, and tactile textile experimentation.
INSPIRATION
My initial inspiration stemmed from my family’s history and their battles, crossing boundaries.
My grandfather was smuggled from Germany into England in a potato sack at the age of 4, after WWII. Arriving unable to speak English and compelled by his parents to wear lederhosen, he became a target for abuse. This adversity fueled his determination to survive and flourish despite years of hostility and rejection. I have worked with the silhouette of his lederhosen, and experimented with gathering and scale, manipulating this traditional garment to symbolise the evolution of his suffering to strength.
My grandfather passed on his strength and resilience to his three daughters—my mother and aunts—preparing them for life's challenges. Raised as feminists, they were instilled with the belief that they could achieve anything. Their love and support, symbolised by a hug, are reflected in the garment silhouettes and vibrant colours and fabrics, contrasting with the monochrome family archive. This collection is a celebration of the human spirits' ability to thrive when held by love.
MY WORK
PORTFOLIOS
Concept
Primary Research
Collaging
Design Development
Draping Experimentation
Design Development
Knit Development
Textile Development
Look 1
Look 2
Range Plan
Line- Up
Photoshoot
Trend Research
DETAIL
Fabrications, Textiles and Textures
The selection of fabrications, created and sourced fabrics, both locally and internationally, was crucial in telling my story. I used a black and white cow print blanket called the "Blanket of Love," passed down through generations, as inspiration for the monochrome fabrics, translated through textured upholstery fabric. In contrast to the black and white archived photos, I created a bold, bright, and free print using alcohol ink, inspired by the symbolism of boundaries from the lava lamp. The contrast rib knit I created drew inspiration from the tweed fabrications seen throughout the family archive, mimicking the striped fabric in other garments, thus creating a cohesive collection.
"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams” - Eleanor Roosevelt
Graduate Fashion Week in partnership with:
