'Beside the Seaside'

My collection: ‘Beside the Seaside’ is inspired by my family stories and personal memories of living on the Isle of Wight. Family photos from the mid 70’s picturing life on the Isle of Wight, inspired my designs using the garments of the era and the novelty of wearing your ‘Sunday Best’ for the beach. The seaside boom was a period of time where Brits were drawn to their local coastline for a cheap summer holiday. I was inspired by the attractions of the seaside. I have always been drawn to seaside architecture, including the ‘Helter Skelter’ ride and the intricate details of piers along the British coastlines. This can be seen in the spiral cut of my denim jeans where I used 100% recycled denim and in the hand embroidery on my knitwear and shirt designs. Another feature of my collection was the distorting of traditional silhouettes. By twisting garments, I was able to create an effect inspired by the unpredictable weather of the British summer. Memories of being overloaded, carrying to much stuff to the beach, inspired me to come up with a solution: The smock. The smock embodies a backpack able to contain all your beach essentials. I designed shorts that have pockets on the outside, playing with the idea of getting changed in a confined beach hut, creating an image of a garment that is inside out. My collection is about my family, and days at the beach. Memories of nostalgia are considered throughout; it is a true picture of my childhood.