Aimee Mann
In Loving Memory
With grief as my muse, through this collection I have explored my own emotions regarding loss.
I felt a sense of peace when visitng cemetries due to the quiet nature surrounding the stones along with lovingly carved statues. My inspiration when moulaging comes from these statues, whether they be angels draped in cloth or urns shielded in fabric. I want to focus on this way of veiling the body as it symbolises protection over the soul thats been lost. As I want to veil the body the use of sheer and delicate fabrics such as silk chiffons and silk satins will be seen through my 6 look collection.
Whilst exploring my grief I connected deply with Victorian mourning rituals and dress, so much so I based my dissertation on it. I researched into the practices of Victorian mourning and their outward expression of grieving, bringing this into my collection. For example, symbolism and colour, hues of grey,purple and lilac will fade to white toward the end of the collection. I shall also dye my own fabrics as it gives more control over the vibrancy of the colours.
I see myself sitting alongside designers such as Jean Paul Gaultier, Thierry Mugler and Versace. I want to be in this position as I am creating a couture Spring/Summer collection for 2024 and want to elevate and sculpt the female form as these designers have and still do, so my silhouettes will hug and accentuate the body. Alongside this, craftsmanship should come first as couture is the height of quality.