Meet GFF Talent, Maddie Sugden, a fashion design and textile graduate from the University of Huddersfield. Maddie’s final project is a womenswear collection called Sisterhood, inspired by the world of women tattoo artists. Maddie has explored not only the aesthetics of tattoos, but the challenges and stigmas women in the traditionally male dominated sector face. Feminism and sustainability have driven this collection, which takes tailoring silhouettes from menswear and reimagines them for women. Read on to learn more about Maddie’s work!
What is the most valuable thing you have learnt at university?
Take every opportunity given to learn something new! Education is so important, not just formal education and things we learn in school and lectures university, but the things we learn every day from interesting interactions with people. There will always be someone who knows more about a certain thing than you do, speak to them, learn from them, immerse yourself in knowledge and always have an open mind.
What was the starting point of inspiration for your final project?
The starting point for Sisterhood, a high-end womenswear collection, was tattooed women and the objectification of women. Visual inspiration came from tattooing equipment and processes and also historical images of the original tattooed women, such as Jessie Knight, Britain’s first female tattoo artist, and Betty Broadbent the “Tattooed Venus”; I found these images so inspiring, as tattooing was, and in some sense still is, such a taboo subject, and to see these black and white vintage photographs of women covered head to toe in artwork.
As tattooing was an industry initially led by men, vintage menswear garments inspired the silhouettes for the garments in the collection which have been reimagined purposefully for women. Draping menswear shirts, knitwear and blazers on a female mannequin provided a starting point in terms of design thinking and proportions for the collection. To gain a deeper insight into tattooing I shadowed a female tattoo artist in a studio, here I managed to collect a body of primary images that would go on to inspire my project aesthetically.
Whilst there I also spoke with the tattoo artist about the objectification that she deals with in day-to-day life whilst in her own place of work, this evoked a rage within me, for a woman to have to deal with comments and opinions on how she should portray her body and what type of job she should have is not something that should be happening in today’s society! This experience led to me making the choice that Sisterhood would be a womenswear collection, designed by WOMEN, made by WOMEN, for WOMEN. This research gave me a really interesting starting point for my project that I felt would be a great inspiration point not only aesthetically but also there was meaning behind my work which I wanted to make a key focus of the project.
What form will your final project take?
Sisterhood will take form as a collection of two complete outfits. Outfit one includes an asymmetric boiled wool coat, with exposed seams, statement pockets, dropped shoulders and a mismatched fastening which creates a cowl at the centre front when fastened, and grazes the floor when unfastened for a statement asymmetric look. The coat will sit over a knitted vegan jumper, with extra deep cuffs, a slash neck and a statement tie back which creates folds inspired by the draped menswear stand work. The jumper will be knitted in an undyed yarn and then hand dyed in a technique which I have sampled many times, this creates a unique outcome that could not be reproduced.
Outfit one will include a pair of slouchy tailored trousers with an asymmetric waistband and extra length on the leg, so they gather at the bottom. Outfit two comprises of a reversible ankle length dress, the top part will be crafted with my own print design, inspired by Tropico, a short film by Lana Del Rey, telling the biblical story of sin and redemption. The bodice of the top will be double layered, so when reversed it is plain black and the print will only be visible on the sheer sleeves, but the print will be more subtle as it is the reverse side. On the back of the dress there is a cut out to reveal the wearers skin, linking back to the inspiration of tattooing the skin and how people adjust their bodies with modifications.
The bodycon skirt of the dress will be made with a recycled black jersey, over this skirt there will be a wrap skirt created in the same printed cotton mousse as the top half of the dress, this moulage gathered skirt will create volume in the bottom half of the outfit. Over the dress will be a fitted tailored jacket which has gathered holes at each side seam, ¾ length sleeves which will allow the dress sleeves to be exposed below. Accessories will run throughout the collection, including hand dyed vegan scarves and hand knitted banana yarn bags, with upcycled handles. The collection is entirely monochromatic, create with different shades and tones of black, this is a collection to make women feel powerful, the Yohji Yamamoto quote “Black is modest and arrogant at the same time. Black is lazy and easy – but mysterious. But above all black says this: “I don’t bother you – you don’t bother me” resonates so deeply with me, this is how I want the women who wear my clothes to feel.
What materials have you used and how did you source them?
With sustainability being a key focus for my collection, it was important for me to consider each fabric, trim and yarn used. My initial thoughts were to use upcycled fabrics, but as my designs developed it became clear that aesthetically and practically it wouldn’t be possible to get the right fabrics. I then decided that I would source my fabrics locally, reducing airmiles in production costs. I have been sponsored by Moons, a luxury wool mill local to Leeds, the fabrics for my asymmetric coat in outfit one. The fabrics used for my tailored pants and jacket come from another local company, Dugdale Bros & Co. in Huddersfield.
By using companies like Moons and Dugdale I am keeping my collection truthful to my northern roots, with Yorkshire being renowned for the wool textile industry and the term ‘Made in Huddersfield, UK’ being a highly valued product, it only felt right to pay homage to the north. The knitwear in my collection is crafted using plant-based yarns, previously I have mainly used mohair in knit as I love the fluffy outcome; I wanted to challenge myself this year to use only plant-based yarns, as a vegan, I wanted to use vegan fabrics and yarns where I could. However, I knew I definitely didn’t want to use any plastic in my collection, pushing acrylic yarn off the table.
Trying to find a yarn that had similar fluffy qualities to mohair was proving difficult, I realised I wouldn’t be able to source a yarn that was naturally fluffy; so, I found a yarn which had the longest fibres, a nettle-ramie, and brushed knitted samples with a pumice stone to disturb the fibres, this was a really successful technique and will be used in my collection. The knitted accessories in my collection including bags and scarves will be made with a yarn created with banana waste fibres left over from sari manufacturing in India, the trims and handles used on the bags will be upcycled from unwanted bags.
How has it evolved from your initial ideas and what have you learnt along the way?
My ideas for this collection have evolved much further than I thought possible when I first decided on my inspiration. When I first began my research and development for this project, I was very much focused on the visual side of tattoos and thinking of how I was going to translate this into my designs, I initially envisioned that I would create illustrations in classic tattooing styles and then digitally print this onto tight, form-fitting garments, to replicate the look of tattoos onto garments. However, once I began sketching and draping fabric on the stand, I just knew that tight, fully feminine silhouettes didn’t fit my design aesthetic and ethos. That is when I decided to look back into the history of tattooing and how the industry has evolved, the male led trade inspired me to look at traditional vintage menswear garments for silhouette and detail inspiration in my designs that would be made solely for women.
This is how I became extremely interested in anti-fit tailoring and working away from the body, whilst also keeping these traditional details of tailored garments such as pocket style and positioning and seam details. I have always been quite a monochromatic designer, working solely in black and occasionally bringing in another subtle colour, I decided that for my final collection I should use colour in order for my designs to stand out. But then when I started rendering my designs and using colours that I would usually avoid, they began feeling like they weren’t my designs. I decided to go back to a monochromatic palette and own my work for what it was, a collection for lovers of everything black. This taught me that sometimes it is good to stick to what you know, and are passionate about, working on ways of pushing that to new levels, rather than doing something that doesn’t feel right to you, just because you think it’s what people want to see.
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 work firstly is for the women, it is inspired by women, none of what I am doing would be possible if it wasn’t for the amazing women I researched and observed for my inspiration. Feminism has always played some part of inspiration in my previous projects, but in Sisterhood that was the main theme that was constantly on my mind whilst designing. As a young, tattooed woman, I have personally felt the judgement and mistreatment of choosing to show myself in a certain way. The fight for women’s rights is a fight that I will continue to fight as long as change is needed, in today’s society there are still many inequalities between men and women, including unpaid work and pay-gaps, violence, discrimination, sexual exploitation and inadequate healthcare.
With more than 1 in 3 women experiencing sexual assault in their lifetime is it understandable why a lot of women live in fear, often affecting how we express ourselves and choosing clothing that won’t draw attention to us. From personal experience I have found people using my tattoos as a way to talk to me and also use unwanted physical contact. This angers the feminist inside me, the way that someone shows their body should not affect the way they are treated. This inspired and allowed Sisterhood to become what is it today, a collection solely for women to wear for themselves, not to attract or to repel men, just to make the wearer feel comfortable and powerful in her own skin.
As a designer in today’s society, it goes without saying, sustainability is key to a successful collection and brand. Animal rights and climate change are both issues close to my heart, as a vegan I think it is our responsibility to reverse the effects of global warming. Sisterhood uses locally sources fabrics to reduce air miles in production, plant-based yarns are used in the knitwear that flows throughout the collection alongside deadstock and recycled trims. Each garment in the collection is meticulously designed to last season after season, the monochromatic colour palette opens up styling options. The high quality of the garments will prolong their lifestyle, everything about Sisterhood is against throw-away fashion.
What’s an aspect of the fashion industry that you’re passionate about fixing or having a positive impact on?
In the fashion industry I think there already some fantastic things being achieved in order to become a more environmentally friendly industry, such as recycling fabrics becoming a more popular choice for brands and new technology that creates organic plant-based fabrics such as Pinatex. However, I think in the industry there needs to be much more brand transparency. Yes, to some extent we can say ‘well whilst there is a demand for fast fashion, it will continue to be popular’, this is true, younger generations are responsible for mass buying new outfits for every occasion. But that is because they can, with brands mass producing basic designs in poor quality fabrics, with no thought to what that is doing to the environment. I would love to have a positive impact on the industry which requires brands to be more transparent about where their products are coming from, including what fabrics are used, where they are sourced, who is making the garments and how much are they being paid.
I think if the consumer was more aware of these factors they would consider purchasing from more ethical brands, which would hopefully lead to more companies changing their ways. I understand there will always be a demand for affordable clothing, but there doesn’t need to be this negative link between affordable and also toxic, which seems to be rife in the industry at the minute. Recycling garments and fabrics is definitely a change that I believe a lot of brands could participate in, whether this be the brand using recycled fabrics in production, or a recycling scheme where customers can return unwanted clothes in exchange for credit. This is something that I feel strongly about and hope to bring this passion to the industry once I graduate, in order to make fashion a much more ethical environment. I believe there are many graduates with a similar mindset, hopefully we will begin to see a turning point in the industry in regard to sustainability.
What is your plan once you finish your BA?
Hopefully the world will be returning to some kind of normality once I graduate! In an ideal world I will get my degree and secure a job as a junior designer, for a sustainable fashion brand in London, somewhere that relates to my design aesthetic and personal ethos and somewhere I can learn real industry knowledge. I did a placement year after my second year and absolutely loved working in the industry. One day I would love to start my own brand creating powerful, sustainable womenswear designs to make women around the world feel amazing in their own skin! I can’t wait to see what the future holds for me in the industry.