Katherine Leigh
Hava Nagila
Drawing inspiration from Orthodox Jewish clothing, mainly focusing on tradition men’s attire, this Spring/Summer’ 17 womens’ collection will have an androgynous look, enhanced by the use of strong silhouettes and traditional pattern cutting techniques, such as classic tailoring. The collection will also draw inspiration from design research based on historical architectural features in the Italian capital city of Rome. Fabrications are in tonal shades of black and navy, and will consist of a variety of fabrics in spite of the season choice. The collections colour palette will consist of a variety of blues, taken from the traditional mosaic tiles found the ancient city, along with the traditional orthodox black and white.
Machine embroidery and detailed embellishment is used to enrich the garments, and texture is be created by using the applique techniques such as Vermicelli. This collection will be unique because of the coalition of the two design inspirations noted above, which have had a history of conflict. The collection will explore how a person’s environment can form the inspiration for their appearance and what they find aesthetically pleasing. The collection will also achieve a new way of making women feel and look confident in structured, masculine inspired clothing, without losing their femininity or their identity as a women. The collection will sit along side high-end designers such as Celine and Comme des Garcons, due to the similar use of silhouette and how the collection is decorated. It will appeal to women aged 20-35 with an interest in contemporary fashion, travel, and the understanding, appreciation and interest in different cultures.