Meet GFF Talent, Katie-Rose Jackson, a fashion design graduate from the University if Central Lancashire. Her collection is three pandemic-inspired garments that take their aesthetic influence from three areas: bacteria, mould and viruses. Read all about it below!
What is the most valuable thing you have learnt at university?
I would always sit back and watch everyone else design, pattern cut and sew their ideas together and think wow I wish I were that good at drawing and pattern cutting and sewing. I have learnt now that I am good at those things since gaining much more confidence. Due to Covid and having to work from home for most of the year I was dreading it and was not confident to having to work from home.
But my tutors have been amazing, and I learnt that I am capable of independent learning and have gained so much more confidence in myself and my work. Pattern cutting has always been a worry for me but since having to work from home the tutors created amazing workshops online which could be watched over again and recommended some amazing pattern cutting books which has totally changed my confidence in pattern cutting and enjoy creating my own patterns and designs independently.
What was the starting point of inspiration for your final project?
I was inspired by the global pandemic, which lead to looking more deeply into the good and bad elements of mould, bacteria and viruses. I experimented with different ways of growing my own mould and bacteria cultures to inspire my colours, fabrics and textiles developments.
What form will does your final project take?
My collection life under the lens consists of 3 outfits. It is a womenswear collection inspired by bacteria, mould and virus. Using mould prints as under garments, oversized silhouettes that represent the body of mould and fungi and using embellishments that are inspired by magnified mould from petri dishes.
What materials have you used and how did you source them?
I used a mixture of different fabrics to create my collection. I used a second-hand satin throw and a vintage duck feather throw which were both sourced from eBay which I dyed. The garments I made with these materials were both zero waste as I used all of the fabric to create lining, binding, belt loops etc. I upcycled some sleeves from a previous toiled garment which matched perfectly with my duck feather throw coat. I sourced my own printed fabric from contrado.com, I decided to use this company as I had previously ordered some samples of lycra and crepe de chine and thought the quality was really nice and was perfect weight and feel for my collection.
I used a lot of taffeta for my dress as I had to bag the fabric out and then gather lots of it together to create the look I wanted which was sourced from Abakan, as some samples I ordered online we not as good quality and the colour wasn’t quite right. I also sourced my cotton jersey from there too.
Due to covid and there being a long wait on delivery, I was cut short for time and needed some power mesh fabric quickly if I was to make them and get them embellished in time. I had to source this from a small privately owned business on Amazon and the quality was premium. The embellishment that was added onto the power mesh was sourced from Josy Rose as I know the quality of the beads and sequins are amazing.
How has it evolved from your initial ideas and what have you learnt along the way?
Originally, I was looking at using tulle and organza to create my dress but after sampling with it I found that it wasn’t giving me the big silhouette I wanted. After more sampling I found that taffeta was the fabric I needed to use as it really kept its structure.
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?
As you look closely under the lens at bacteria structures’ they start to resemble intricate pieces’ of art. The beautiful colours and textures that appeared in petri dishes inspired me to develop these forms and colours into whimsical garments full of escapism. I wanted to take something that is now even more so thought of as disgusting and harmful and show its natural beauty and delicacy in a textural way.
What’s an aspect of the fashion industry that you’re passionate about fixing or having a positive impact on?
As we have become increasingly conscious about the impact the fashion industry is having on our planet, I have found myself become ever more passionate about having a positive impact on reusing and recycling, and showing that we can create something beautiful from nothing, or as the saying goes; ‘another man’s trash, is another man’s treasure’. For my final collection, I decided to showcase this idea of reusing, by creating two of my main garments from second hand throw and quilts.
These items which could have otherwise ended up in landfill, showed what can be created with a little imagination, by simply upcycling. I hope that by creating these garments, people think twice and realise that we do not always necessarily need to purchase new fabrics. I also feel that more interesting and unique garments can be created by upcycling old clothes and fabrics, an example being with the vintage quilt I reused, which you wouldn’t find in a new fabric store.
A lot of people are unaware that there are companies out there too who will collect and take your scrap fabrics and off cuts, and recycle them in to new fabrics and materials which is a fantastic opportunity to gather something more unique and interesting. Many people simply throw unused and scrap pieces of fabric away, without actually realising that it can be used again. This is something I’m particularly passionate about and would love to see more people educated about.
What is your plan once you finish your BA?
Since the pandemic and having to work from home, I had a studio built in my back garden to work in my own space. Having this has made me love designing, pattern cutting and making my designs even more from home, so after my BA I aim to design and bring some of my designs to life which I could sell, alongside applying for jobs in the fashion industry as a junior designer.