Sonder

My name is Calista Whitney, I am a womenswear designer graduating from the University of Salford. My my final collection, is based on the word "Sonder", which is the realisation that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own. Basing my concept on this word, something that is not tangible, was initially challenging to visualise. However, it gave me the opportunity to challenge myself and my communication and creativity skills. This concept follows a narrative of four women, who get brought together in unusual circumstances, to help me materialise my ideas. I aimed to highlight each character's individuality by taking inspiration from different elements of their lives, representing the idea that ‘everyone has a story’, and combining them into a collection of garments to depict connectedness. From this I found lots of imagery surrounding this topic and collaged them onto a figure to get initial design ideas. Draping using a waterproof jacket allowed me to create interesting silhouettes to put my spin on the typical waterproof clothing that we are used to seeing. Techniques I used consist of bonding fabrics together, panelling, and the use of lots of zips and fastenings, such as poppers and magnets which make the garments multi-way and interchangeable, allowing the wearer to customise their garment. My collection consists of elevated streetwear pieces that are unique and interesting. My goal is to work in the fashion industry and launch my own brand, producing new and innovative clothes by extensively researching and carefully designing each piece. I'm constantly trying to improve my abilities and learn new techniques for designing and making clothes.