Tchotchke

Notions of craft and ornate, organic details are at the forefront of my design philosophy. Layered craft techniques such as crochet, hand embroidery, print and fabric manipulation drive me within my practice. For my concept I started by gathering imagery I had taken on various trips abroad to Europe. Mainly details found in architecture, antiques and vintage garments found at flea markets and vintage warehouses. The placement and strange combination of items that I stumbled across always drew me in but also overwhelmed me, as there was always so much to observe and take in. A plastic baby dolls head next to an ornate medieval looking chalice would never not amuse me. Drawing inspiration from the idea of beautiful, cluttered antiques and discarded junk from people's homes, I began researching the documentary ‘Grey Gardens’ (1975). I was particularly drawn to the juxtaposition of the eccentric, camp display of the women alongside the disordered mansion which is practically decaying away. The film shows them in some scenes prancing around in chic and sophisticated outfits amongst clutter and chaos. This made me reflect on people's attachments to objects and collections of unexpected items that people might collected over the years and struggle to part with. I would consider myself as a hoarder of ‘shiny things’ whether that be random antiques or vintage garments that have no immediate use but hold a connection with me. Most of the materials and trims used in this collection I have hoarded myself over the years, including Victorian tapestry fabric which is over 100 years old and has been passed down many generations in my family. I wanted this idea of obsessive collecting to come through within my research for this collection, creating an almost isolated mood of someone who seeks joy and meaning from items instead of a connection with real people, adorned in trinkets and extravagance.