About Me
Hi, I'm Isobel a Fashion Design graduate from AUB.
Isobel was inspired by the Victorian era and the working class women who lived through it. The collection 'The Great Social evil' strives to tell the women's true tales and to celebrate their femininity. Design silhouettes were formed from archive garment research and the textiles were inspired by floral prints of the era and stripes.
Often we think of the Victorian era as a dark and dingy period, but this isn't true. The purpose of my collection is to celebrate the women's real lives and their innate femininity. Prostitutes have been a particular area of focus for my work and typical undergarments have been the source of inspiration for many of my pieces. I've taken colour and textile inspiration from the opulence of Queen Victoria's portraits to keep the collection light and to give the clothes a contemporary twist.
INSPIRATION
My initial inspiration was from reading historical accounts of women's lives.
Books about the 19th century have always interested me, these have formed the basis of my FMP research. 'The Five' by Hallie Rubenhold and 'Unmentionable' by Therese Oneill have been central touch points when looking for inspiration. After reading about Victorian women and the societal attitudes to sex work at the time, I wanted to bring their memories to life in a positive manner.
A key element for my design development was mixing the opulent and bright colour palette with traditional Victorian garments and keeping the collection contemporary. Through fashion plates and archive research my silhouettes have nods to vintage patterns, but through fabric and colour choice these shapes take a modern look. Designers like Simone Rocha have been a source of inspiration through my project, as well as my historical research, as I've looked at both the past and current designers for research.
MY WORK
PORTFOLIOS
Concept Board
Primary Research
Concept Development
Concept And Design Development
Initial Design Sketches
Coat Developments
Coat Final Outcome
Bloomers Development
Bloomers Final Outcome
Cape Top Development
Cape Top Digital Print Outcome
Dress Development And Dye Swatches
Dress Final Outcome
Shirt Dress Development
Shirt Dress Devore Samples
Trenchcoat Development
Playsuit Development
Final Line Up On CLO3D Digital Avatars
Final CLO 3D Digital Fashion Renders
DETAIL
I've used devore, digital print and hand dyeing techniques to create unique textiles
Textiles form an important part of my collection as floral motifs and striped shirting fabrics are mixed to create a Victoriana aesthetic. I have explored hand dyeing and through this practice all of my garments contain dyed or over-tinted fabrics, allowing me to control the hues of my collection. Striped shirtings and wools oppose the delicate florals of my devore and digital print for a true vintage feel. I took my main inspiration from Victorian botanical drawings and object motifs to create delicate prints for georgette and organza fabrics. My shirt features an engineered devore print that wraps around the sleeve for a subtle and feminine detail. My coat incorporates hand painted velvet devore stripes to weave a ‘home made’ touch into the garments.
"They were women. They were human beings, surely that, in itself, is enough." - Hallie Rubenhold
Graduate Fashion Week in partnership with:
