Abbie Jones
The ApprenticE
An AW23 collection which dives into my Granda’s life through the lens of stories and photographs from when he was an apprentice welder and a Teddy Boy.
Derek Jones worked in the Wallsend shipyards in 1961 as an apprentice welder, tackling harsh working environments with little safety. Outside of his apprenticeship Derek was an active Teddy Boy who followed the rebellious life style whilst trying to look ‘smart’ by wearing his Dad’s clothes. The dull and murky environment Granda’ worked in on a daily basis with little to no safety equipment drives this collection to present the idea of safe and practical garments which could have been used on the shipyards in the 1960s.
The juxtaposition of his life wearing dusty, worn-away, work clothes from his career on the shipyards to a Teddy Boy wearing soft, tailored, suits with the look of ‘wearing my father’s clothing’ influence the silhouette and the idea of layering to allow the clothes to fit and gain warmth - due to little protective ‘clothing’.
To capture the juxtaposition of the two lifestyles Granda’ lived in the use of fabrics, print and stitch details perform as main factors of this collection. The choice of fabric and prints in this collection have been carefully selected to provide rough textures, similar to the shipyards, yet a smooth finish to bring together the polished Teddy Boy and the old clothes worn for work. The use of print in this collection provides the illusion of the garment being worn away from welding sparks and the harsh welding environment.