Meet GFF Talent, Poppy Vrayer Griffiths, a fashion graduate from Northumbria University. Poppy’s final major project is inspired by military clothing and the empowerment of women. “The collection promotes empowerment and aims to bring awareness to women’s safety in society through the contrasting use of historical military menswear and parachute moulage,” says Poppy. Read all about it below!
What is the most valuable thing you have learnt at university?
University has really taught me the value of group projects and how to work with people from different design backgrounds. When I came to University I was very introverted and incredibly intimidated by working with people because I didn't really know who I was as a designer and I feared not being understood. My tutors, technicians, and year in the industry have helped me experiment and discover my passions within the design, my personal intensity towards social justice, and how I can use this to drive me as a designer by using my work to say something I feel is important. Overall University has taught me that I have a voice and how I can use my work as an extension of this to bring awareness, but also to learn more myself with each project I develop.
What was the starting point of inspiration for your final project?
My Project started when I was gifted with a parachute wedding dress from World War 2. I have always found myself drawn to Military clothing and the functionality of these garments. This parachute dress showed me the possibilities of taking something functional and unrelated to fashion and creating something more contemporary by playing with the emotions behind the historical garment and how they align in today’s society.
My research into the military parachute took me down so many interesting routes. I was able to visit the Eden Camp Military Museum, in Yorkshire, where I discovered Frank’s Anti Blackout Suit. The Anti-Blackout Suit was a garment worn by pilots to protect them from the side effects of G-force. Frank’s suit was one of the first models of its kind and I found myself inspired by how it compressed the body to keep the circulation of blood to vital organs. Juxtaposing the restrictive heaviness of the suit, and the delicate, drapery of a parachute I knew I would be able to create a very contrasting collection of silhouettes.
What form does the final project take?
The concept “Men Don’t Protect Us Anymore” will take the form of a garment collection. The collection promotes empowerment and aims to bring awareness to women’s safety in society through the contrasting use of historical military menswear and parachute moulage. I would position this collection as contemporary/conceptual, with this in mind I will be shooting the garments to create an editorial lookbook.
What materials have you used and how did you source them?
When sourcing fabrics for this collection I wanted to represent the light and airy nature of a parachute in descent and the emotional heaviness of the national statistic of sexual harassment against women. The juxtaposition of compression and volume in garments pushed me to use contrasting fabrics to play up the narrative behind this collection. Sustainability runs though my collection, and is a key part of my ethos as a designer. I believe it should be standard practice rather than something brands are forced to do. The fabrics sourced for my final collection all come from deadstock companies, and other projects I am working on use hemp-based fabrics, sustainable linens, Econyl, Tencel and other GOTS-certified fabrications.
The research and design process is an experimental time and can create a lot of waste – for my sampling and toile making, I used leftover fabrics and second-hand bedding to avoid unnecessary fabric waste. The source and history of second-hand fabrics is an important aspect, for example, a 1943 British parachute repurposed into a dress, that is key to my research, and was traced back to the 174 RAF Squadron via the original military stamps. This parachute dress also had me purchase a second-hand parachute to moulage with at so that I could understand the volume of fabric in a parachute without creating more waste.
How has it evolved from your initial ideas and what have you learnt along the way?
I think my concept really began to evolve and I was able to introduce stronger emotions into my work as during this time developing my project was when the investigation of a then missing Sarah Everard was starting to unfold. Watching the news develop around her case and what happened to her it became more important to me that my work says something and I was able to build on my concept from this. I think like most people I became very emotionally effect about what happened to Sarah Everard and the statistics that came out, that 97% of women in the UK have experienced sexual harassment.
I turned to my project as a form of therapy, and I was able to work through my emotions from the murder of Sarah Everard, and my own past experiences that came to the forefront of my mind during this time. This project has really affirmed to me that as a designer I have a platform to bring awareness and I want my final project to continue the conversation that started earlier this year until there is a positive change to women’s safety. As my concept grew stronger I was able to make more informed decisions to the garments in this collection.
Combining this very personal and deep narrative with a passion for historical military garments, I began my research into archive clothing and the role of women in war. 1940’s British society deemed men as strong, powerful protectors and the garments I was studying represented this stereotype. I was inspired by an anti-blackout suit worn by pilots to protect them from the effects of G-force, which includes a built-in boot, this is where the influence for the stiletto comes from and what led me to design a full footwear range for this collection, alongside the compression suit and compression trousers with shoe built-in.
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 final collection, Men Don’t Protect Us Anymore, became inspired by feminism and women’s safety in society. I felt that by combining the narrative behind the historical garments that were from a period when it was predominantly men who went to war, as it wasn’t until 1940 when women could join the armed forces and even then, it wasn’t fighting on the front line. 1940’s British society deemed men as strong, powerful protectors and the garments I was studying represented this stereotype. When news surrounding the disappearance and murder of Sarah Everard was unravelling and it was a police officer charged with the crimes, I realised I could use my work to bring awareness to women’s safety.
Sexual harassment and assault against women is something 97% of the British population have experienced. I was shocked to realise just how normalised this behaviour is against women. All the things that women are trained to do in their early teens to keep them safe against these attacks is so normalised, and it should not be. I want this collection to add to the conversation of women’s safety and hopefully, with my platform I can reach more people and educate them to change the behaviour of the men that do this.
What’s an aspect of the fashion industry that you’re passionate about fixing or having a positive impact on?
I think the future for the fashion industry is really to become truly sustainable. There is a really interesting generation of designers emerging that are going to change how the industry uses sustainable practices. The word ‘sustainability is still used as a keyword to draw people to a collection as if it is a revolutionary new concept, but brands like Stella McCartney have been actively using sustainable processes for over 20 years. I believe sustainability needs to become a standard practice in industry now.
I also think this next generation of consumers will pressure brands to create sustainable collections. I know that as a consumer I look for brand transparency, I like to know that the investments I make aren’t going towards harming the planet, or that the brand supports anything that is damaging to a social demographic. I also think with the pandemic consumer habits will continue to change. It is a really good opportunity for consumers and brands to move away from the fast-fashion practices, the pandemic has given us a year of being at home with no need for cheap clothing that doesn’t last because people haven’t had anywhere to go so I really think this is the best time to change they fast-fashion part of the industry.
What is your plan once you finish your BA?
My post-graduation plan is to just get out into the industry and begin a new journey of learning and building on my skills. I had the fortune of going on a placement year partway through my studies and in that time I realised I am drawn to working for a small brand as a creative pattern cutter. I really loved how hands-on it can be working for a small company and how personal the work becomes. I am going to work towards establishing myself as a freelance creative pattern cutter, this is so that I can build my CV and skills, along with my network. I am really excited by the idea of working freelance because of how different every job will be.
As a designer, I have my own personal style to how I would create a collection, but as a pattern cutter, I can leave that side of me to create garments of all different styles genres. I see this as an opportunity to learn more about who I am as a creative and to become a well-rounded, versatile creative pattern cutter. In my spare time I will also be working towards starting my own small brand. I want my brand to bring a positive impact to society and help to change peoples lives. I really believe that you have to be the change you want to see in the world and I will build my brand from that statement.