My inspiration for this collection began with a hand knitted cardigan made by my mother, passed down to me. As a child I learned knit and crochet from the women in my family and in this collection, I wish to highlight the importance of heritage craft and intergenerational skills, and the significance of their role in the sustainable approach to fashion. To do this I created biodegradable, zero waste garments made from deadstock European linen and Irish new wool, both produced ethically in Ireland. An estimated 15-35% of all textile waste is produced in the cutting and sewing process, and in my graduate collection I turned to Irish history to find a way to combat this problem. Inspired by old Irish garment making techniques, each piece in my collection made from a woven fabric began as a large square or rectangle and was manipulated by tucking, pleating and smocking to fit the body. These reversible techniques allow the garment to grow with the wearer, and when no longer needed be taken apart and returned to the original rectangle to be used again. Knitting is a naturally zero-waste process, as you can shape garments as you knit. My process was also heavily inspired by my mother’s rural upbringing and the comfort that can be found in the familiar yet odd rhythms and rituals of childhood in rural Ireland. I wish for this collection to stand as an antithesis to fast fashion and over-production and to promote native, ethical and slow manufacturing.
