For my MA collection, I decided to do a range of special occasion dresses inspired by the Art Deco period of fashion. I chose this project because you don’t often see knit in special occasion wear, and I thought it would be interesting to explore. I imagined it would push me to be innovative, challenging which yarns and techniques would be appropriate for formal wear.
As the year progressed and I delved more into my research, I learned that women don’t always have special occasions to dress up for, but that they love dressing up and wish they could more. This inspired me to create versatile pieces that crossed over into lingerie and loungewear so that they could still regularly experience that glamorous transformation that formal wear provides, even if they were just lounging at home!
As part of my project I wanted to photograph the dresses in a glamorous photoshoot, highlighting the beauty of the wearer and the transformation they felt wearing the dresses. I looked to movie-star portraits from the 40s and 50s for inspiration because of the feeling of sensuality they evoke. I further researched “sensual dressing” a newer term that refers to dressing for ones own pleasure rather than for the observer.
My final lineup is a collection of dresses that are not only versatile, they engage the senses. From the visually appealing sparkle, layers and twists, to the super soft fabrics that feel amazing on the skin, to the playful design details that inspire a desire to play around and dance in them, these dresses are made for the wearer’s own pleasure and enjoyment.
Click on each dress below to learn more about the inspiration behind it and its unique design details. To see the dresses in action, check out this video 😉
