The Woman of Your Nightmares

Charlie McMahon is Northern English fashion & textile designer, specialising in print. His work revolves around his experiences growing up in the countryside, taking elements of rural textile practices and bringing them into a high fashion context. His graduate work is based upon a series of childhood nightmares which featured “Miss Wong”, a painting by Vladimir Tretchikoff, unsettled by her piercing eyes and bright green skin. Charlie plays with vivid colours & textiles reminiscent of the English countryside such as Gingham and Tweed, juxtaposing it with intimidating silhouettes inspired by the work of Balenciaga & McQueen. For print he used typical motifs such as florals & polka dots, subverting them in a way in which they swirl and swarm around the body, mimicking the disorientating feeling of being in a nightmare. As for Miss Wong, Charlie presents a wardrobe for her by imagining what kind of clothes an evil, yet highly glamorous woman would wear in the countryside.