Meet GFF Talent Arianna Taliadoros, a fashion design graduate from Arts University Bournemouth. Arianna’s final collection is inspired by her grandparent’s life in Alexandria, Egypt, in the late 50s. Elements of her grandfather’s clothing provided the base for her collection while feminine details taken from her grandmothers night gowns provides juxtaposition.
“The whole idea of my collection is the powerfulness of male and female energies that lie within garments. I hope my clothing evokes feelings of strength through a suit or playfulness in an organza bubble top,” says Arianna. “If she decides to wear mens tailoring or an excessive dramatic ruffle dress, the decision is for her and her only. The idea that women can have such grace and power in what ever they wear is important to me.” Read more below!
What is the most valuable thing you have learnt at university?
I have learnt a number of things like how to design, sew and pattern cut manually or digitally using Clo3D or Lectra. But I think the most valuable lesson I have learnt is how to build work relations, whether that is with the people I work with in the studios or networking with other courses in the creative industry. Arts University Bournemouth have pushed us to understand that being able to work with many different types of people will help us further in our job roles. Hopefully from collaborating with makeup or photography students I'll keep these contact for the future. From working with wide ranges of people, I learnt how you need to be flexible in your work. More prominently since the corona virus outbreak, you can see how fashion is constantly changing and evolving at a fast rate, you have to be flexible in your work and always think a step ahead.
What was the starting point of inspiration for your final project?
Initially I was first inspired by the story’s and photographs of my grandparents living in Alexandria in the late 50’s. These images are romantic and depict the cosmopolitan life style they led, with my grandmother wearing my grandfathers clothing, draped like a model across his Harley-Davidson. I explored my grandmothers wardrobe finding night gowns and lingerie from her youth, with lace details, and hand embroidered roses on her mothers silk kimonos. Not only did I want this feminine energy, I took inspiration from my grandfathers suits, shirts, trench coats, collecting images of his traditional mens clothing.
Alexandria in Egypt was incredibly cosmopolitan for a middle eastern country in the 50’s, with women entering beauty pageants and swimwear competitions , wearing what they wanted, the richest travelled across the world to be educated in Cairo and had a huge amount of diversity from many different Europeans living there. This time was so empowering and up lifting for women, bringing a new wave of modern European fashion to there seaside urban city, people of any colour, race, religion or culture were welcomed. I wanted to bring through this playful, strong and powerful feeling through my collection.
What form does your final project take?
I am in the process of creating a six outfit collection both digitally physically made, featuring drape work created from large petit-coats and rose petal shapes to influence my pattern cutting. I mixed voluminous bouncy silhouettes with sharp strong tailored pieces, bringing in influences of 1950’s lingerie and nightwear for a playful layered look. Each piece is manufacture to a high level, with luxury finishings hoping for a long lasting effect.
What materials have you used and how did you source them?
I wanted my collection to have this juxtaposition between masculine and feminine energy, bringing this through the weights of my fabrics. I created my own digital prints, inspired by my grandmothers hand sewn kimonos. I sketched the design of the embroidered roses and began painting floral repeats. A series of these prints were edited, then printed on organic cotton organza for a light effortless bubble effect. I also used in contrast traditional men’s suit check for my jacket and men’s shirting materials used for shorts or oversized shirts in my collection. These structural, typically masculine fabrics were found in pale pinks and light green stripes opposing against the female lingerie pattern cutting and stitch lines. For my night wear and peti-coat inspired ruffle dress I used a nude stretch drill for skin like quality hugging into the model for the 50’s nightwear elements.
How has it evolved from your initial ideas and what have you learnt along the way?
Originally I had a very static line up, with lots and lots of ideas not really knowing where to push them. My collection has grown into something much more cohesive and references my initial intentions in a more sophisticated and intentional way. I was told at the beginning of the year my collection wouldn’t look anything similar to what my first line up was and that was completely true and I am so thankful for that because it pushed me to try out various pattern cutting methods and techniques, find my design style and how my eye works best in completely a garment. I have learnt a lot more on what fabrics to use and how best they will suit the garment, from a lot of trial and error. I have made many mistakes, re made lots of garments, altered things on clo3D before making them physically, all these wrongs have turned to a right, in that these mistakes were my best way of learning.
What are the messages and themes behind your project that you want people to take away? Do explore any topics like diversity, sustainability or politics in your work?
My underlying message is that women can wear and do what ever the want with out judgement. The whole idea of my collection is the powerfulness of male and female energies that lie within garments. I hope my clothing evokes feelings of strength through a suit or playfulness in an organza bubble top. If she decides to wear mens tailoring or an excessive dramatic ruffle dress,the decision is for her and her only. The idea that women can have such grace and power in what ever they wear is important to me.
What’s an aspect of the fashion industry that you’re passionate about fixing or having a positive impact on?
I would love to see and push for the future of having less fast, throw away fashion, and see more of mend and make do. I believe clothing should be something cherished and worn for life rather than a trend.The same as my grandmother passing her clothing and accessories down to me I hope to do the same. I try to buy more consciously however consumers should have the ability to understand where items come from, who made them, where the fabrics have been sourced and the workers are paid fair wages. I hope to see more ethical practises taken place in large corporate company’s in the future. As a designer I hope my collection will be timeless, and worn for many more years to come.
What is your plan once you finish your BA?
After my degree I hope to find an internship or placement to help me into the working world of fashion, so I can build on my knowledge before finding a full time job in pattern cutting, print design or any thing in fashion I can get my hands on. While building my portfolio, a never ending process, I hope to continue selling my art work and paint along side.