My initial inspiration and concept looked to nature in its most basic form, nature being the most prolific designer of all.
I gained a new appreciation for the natural world’s lines, the fluidity of its movement, the richness of its texture, and the boldness of its patterns while working in isolation, within the confines of my house.
In practice, I’ve experimented with the innately fluid, feminine lines and voluptuous curves to contour and shape the human body, both with silhouette and tromp l’oeil effects.
The resulting collection is a celebration of modern femininity, fitting for an audacious and sophisticated woman.
We were tasked with designing a 12 look collection suitable for our chosen market (contemporary womenswear). One of the main focuses for our collections was to work with local industry makers and pattern makers in Sydney/Australia to help execute our visions, not only providing us with useful contacts but also to help prepare us for what it is truly like working in the industry today, as well as developing fully detailed tech packs for each produced garment, comprised of industry-standard costings, BOMs, make and size specs, as well as all accompanying branding artworks and marketing collateral
(main garment tags, swing tags, and care/size labels).
Another key aspect of the collections was sustainability. Each textile that was selected for this collection is sustainable - either in its production/composition or use of sourcing, with 50% of the collection being made up of 100% natural linens and organic cotton using AVITERA® SE - The first range of reactive dyes to be free from restricted arylamines, crucially, this covers para-chloroaniline (PCA), a hazardous dyeing by-product that poses risks to people.
All other man-made textiles used were dead-stock fabrics, ensuring that I was not contributing to the production of virgin synthetic fibers.
I believe that as a fashion designer, I have a responsibility to ensure that the products I put out into the world do not contribute to the already devastating effects the fashion industry has on the planet. I am a firm believer that sustainability (in regards to textiles) is now a given, and should not be tokenistic or something that is considered to be a “special” feature of a collection or brand - it should always be a key pillar and focus. Moving forward, I also plan to incorporate up-cycling into my design practice.

‘SUBMERSE’ is inspired by organic shapes and materials; the languid curve of oyster shells, the natural grain of wood, flowing water, precious metals, and minerals. Then contrasting these natural elements with man-made objects and architecture, exploring how the organic has influenced modern architecture and the world around us.
Architects such as Antoni Gaudi in Barcelona, and in particular, the Arata Isozaki Himalayas center in Shanghai were both key inspiration points for the collection. The architecture itself has strong ties to nature, their forms and fluidity harking to this primal resource.
The designs look to echo the feeling of organic shape, movement, and fluidity, but still retaining a sense of strictness, richness, and form, taken from contemporary architecture, using them as key silhouette references but translating them into a contemporary fashion context.
A wearable fluid structure.
The aim of this collection was to be 100% sustainable, by only using second hand or deadstock materials that is locally sourced (a constant theme in my work),
I ensure that I am not buying into the production of newly generated synthetic materials, instead choosing to use the incredible amount of surplus fabrics available to us in Australia and New Zealand.
The aim of this assessment was to provide us with an opportunity to work with local industry contacts (Pattern makers/sample machinists/ fabric suppliers) as a preview to what our graduate collection experience will be.
This proved incredibly useful, as we learned how to navigate the local industry and develop strong contacts for use throughout our careers.
It also provided us with an opportunity to see how an entire collection is developed from a technical point of view as one of the main components was to develop complete tech packs + costings/BOMs for our produced garments, as well as all the marketing and business collateral required to run a label.
We conducted market research, investigated our local and international competitors and manufacturers, and fine tuned our target audience and consumer.
This gave us an insight to what it is truly like operating a young brand in the industry today.