Caroline Wood
The Pretty Unconventional
This SS19 Womenswear collection explores the concept of 'Bohemian' which can be used to describe someone who is unconventional and often involved in the arts. The collection will have a particular focus on Shakespeare’s play "Hamlet" which tells the tale of a Danish princess called 'Ophelia'. Ophelia is the image of female madness with long disheveled hair, bedecked with wild flowers. She is the original bohemian girl, shown in art of her done by various artists, within these paintings she has a feminine ambiance, wearing long flowing dresses with flower crowns in her hair.
As modern bohemian culture is closed linked with travel, the concept will be juxtaposed with the Mongol Rally. There will be 6 influential places from the rally which will inspire the 6 looks: Bruges, Istanbul, Cappadocia, Ashgabat, Bukhara and Mongolia as a whole. Each place will bring a different aspect to the outfits however they will all be linked with customisation done by hand. This will be in the form of top stitching, embroidery and hand painted prints and dyes.
All of the inspiration from experiences from abroad will be placed against the silhouette of Ophelia. This silhouette will be drawn upon various vintage bohemian garments and current catwalk trends, mainly looking at artwork of Ophelia and first hand imagery from the Mongol Rally. The colour palette will be a variety of pinks and yellows with sharp accents of dark colours, giving a pretty look but keeping the main colours of these cities and regions in mind. Flowing dresses and loose fitting garments will be made from lightweight fabrics such as chiffon and silks, as well as contrasting fabrics such as denim. The prints will be a main factor in the overall look and there will also be experimental pattern cutting and elements of embroidery throughout.
The market level is designer, Preen by Thornton and Bregazzi, is similar as they are experimental in their pattern cutting and create interesting, elegant pieces. They use a mixture of prints, however floral prints appear most. The collection will be aimed at young women aged between 19 - 27 who aspire to own individual garments that can only be acquired through designer stores. The garments will be luxurious with a delicate look and feel to them, as though every part has been hand stitched, making each a unique piece.