Ana Marques: THE SEVEN SKIRTS

My graduate collection, "The Seven Skirts," celebrates female empowerment and history by merging two distinct yet inspiring worlds within the fishing community. It draws inspiration from the traditional fishermen's wives of 1950s Nazaré, Portugal, known as the "women of the seven skirts," who dedicated their lives to fishing and their families, working alongside their husbands. The collection is also influenced by the Haenyeo, the indomitable diving grandmas of Jeju Island, South Korea. These women, some in their 80s, dive over 10 to 20 meters without oxygen tanks. They had challenged the norms by becoming their households' breadwinners. My collection combines the zero-waste and upcycling practices of the Nazaré fisher wives with the contemporary, functional style of the Haenyeo's scuba diving attire whilst conveying a positive message through storytelling. As an environmentally conscious designer, I have a strong interest in digital fashion with proficiency in digital softwares, such as Clo3D, Cinema 4D, and Unreal Engine. My digital project was recognised by the SYKY competition, earning me a Keystone membership pass in 2023, which grants me access to a community of 987 members passionate about the future of fashion who want to share, discuss, or learn about the evolution of design in digital, physical, and augmented worlds. Additionally, I was selected by Ravensbourne to present my Nouveau LV project to the Louis Vuitton Accessories Design Graduate Initiative.