Sophia Price: ACE

ACE, is a collection inspired by Aviator flying jackets and the journey they embarked on, combining this with British heritage countryside clothing and pub carpet textiles inspired from family pub photography. The use of handcrafted rug tufted textiles is used throughout the collection in the lining and detailing of each jacket. ‘ACE’ aims to redefine Aviator jacket aesthetics using enlarged graphic prints and by using wax oilskin cotton as an alternative to traditional leather. Each Jacket in ‘ACE’ is dedicated to an RAF pilot, with their short biography printed into each jacket lining. I am a menswear designer specialising in men’s outerwear and digital fashion. I create handmade rug tufted textiles throughout my collections as an ethical and sustainable alternative to fur or shearling. By using Clo3d and Blender throughout my design development process I am able to work sustainably with no waste of materials and generate design ideas more efficiently. I was kindly sponsored fabrics such as oilskin wax cotton and twill to combine with my handmade textiles for my final collection from Merchant and Mills, a sustainable and ethical fabric merchandiser. Additionally, I have been fortunate to be put forward for participation in the first edition Accessories Design Graduates Initiative with Louis Vuitton and placed in the semi-final.