About Me
Manchester Metropolitan Fashion Graduate, Specialising in Knit & Print
Nataly Sokolik is a womenswear designer who loves to combine knit, print, and embroidery techniques to create garments that are bold in colour, elegant in silhouette, and rich in intricate details. Drawing inspiration from summer days, her cultural heritage, and the ocean, she creates ethereal and nostalgic stories through her designs.
My creative practice is my way of exploring my Ukrainian and Uzbek heritage. Through out my childhood my family has woven a tapestry of traditions, stories and cherished objects. By exploring those in my practice I always find a new sense of connection to my roots and learn so much more about my grandparents’ lives. Knitwear is another huge aspect of my practice. I enjoy combining different colored and textured yarns on various machines such as Shima, Dubied, and domestics to create fabrics unique to me. I strive to reimagine knitwear beyond the traditional “knitted jumper.
INSPIRATION
My Underwater Garden
Growing up in Bat Yam, Israel, a town whose name translates to “daughter of the sea,” I spent much of my childhood by the ocean. The sea was my playground, where I spent countless hours observing the waves in the turquoise water. My muses are the Bat Yam mermaids—girls who love the sea, swim, and travel.Through my clothes, I capture the vibrancy and joy of summer days, allowing them to evoke these feelings all year round, even in the rainy and cold Manchester.
"My Underwater Garden" is a collection inspired by my father’s childhood in Ukraine, my mother’s home garden, and my deep love for the ocean. It is an exploration of my heritage and a celebration of the beauty of the natural world. Combining these elements, I aimed to craft an escapist reality where every child can feel warmth, happiness, and most importantly: safety.
MY WORK
PORTFOLIOS
Concept & fabric board
Research garments & initial design collages
Muse development & market level research
Illustrative Lineup
Look 1 - Shima knit dress development
Look 1 - illustrations & technical drawing
Look 1 - photos
Knit samples
Glass charms development
Look 2 - development
Look 2 - illustrations & technical drawings
Look 2 - photos
Look 3 - development
Look 3 - photos
Look 4 - development
Look 4 - illustrations & technical drawing
Look 4 - photos
Look 3 & 4
Look 1 & 2
DETAIL
Floral stories
My heritage deeply influences my knitwear and print techniques. For my final collection I was particularly inspired by Ukrainian Embroidery. In Ukrainian embroidery, different patterns hold distinct meanings; for example, plants and florals symbolize family purity and prosperity. Drawing inspiration from baskets and florals in my mother's garden, I developed my own floral motifs that repeat throughout the collection.
For whatever we lose [like a you or a me] it’s always ourselves we find in the sea. (E. E. Cummings)
Graduate Fashion Week in partnership with:
