About Me
Hi, I'm Kira - a Fashion Design Graduate from Falmouth University.
My work promotes a unique version of positive fashion; it shows that you can still be ethical and sustainable while being creative and innovative. I like to think of my garments as 'Earth worshipping' as witchcraft with the natural world as a big inspiration for me as well as only using responsibly sourced, 'non-plastic' materials or deadstock.
I do not design my creations with a customer in mind as I would like my art to be accessible to all those who wish to engage with it. This removes some of the exclusivity surrounding my pieces. The process behind a collection, from research to the final presentation, is fascinating and very important to me. It solidifies the personality and aesthetics of the work which, in my opinion, makes fashion an art form.
INSPIRATION
My initial ideas come from multiple sources and research points...
...all with one common subject - 'women and how they respond to the world around them.' My design work is heavily inspired by the research I gathered at the beginning and during my process. For this collection, I was inspired by three main research subjects: witchcraft, Barbara Hepworth, and Julia Margaret Cameron. Using my design development to create connections between the three aesthetically different references challenges me to design unique and personal garments with a story to tell.
Each inspiration displays her power through her personal mediums: Hepworth through her Sculpture, Julia through her photography, and witches through their rituals and culture. Witchcraft has been used as an excuse to suppress women throughout history. The culture and belief systems are appropriated to paint powerful women as villains, causing the community to become secretive. This collection explores and shows a different narrative - one to challenge the mainstream idea of what a witch is.
MY WORK
PORTFOLIOS
Title page and pre-collection look
Understanding the theory behind the aesthetic
Concept
Colour and Materials Board
Julia Margaret Cameron research & development
Barbara Hepworth research & development
Final line up
Range Plan
Witching shirt development board
Toile Set 1
Draped ball skirt development
Toile set 2
Barbara's Sabbath - Model: Eleanor Gow
Maid Of Madron - Model: Liv Greatbatch
Elizabeth's Witching - Model: Jade Takara Smith
The Family Ritual - Photographer: Francesca Rowse
Art Direction: Francesca Rowse & Kira Foster
DETAIL
When I design I think about where I want the eye to move across the body of the wearer...
I direct attention using well thought out design detailing which symbolizes or heavily references the research behind the collection. For example, witches are commonly sexualised within art history, so I reference this in the blouse in the 'Maid Of Madron' outfit by revealing the left breast and part of the arm. The gathered circles symbolise Hepworth's use of negative space in her work and the use of the shape in magic symbolism. I draw attention to the neck area because a lot of Cameron's costuming in her photographs feature detailing and draping around the neckline as she captured a lot of portraiture from the waist up. The line of bags are based off of charm bags or gathering purses used by witches and their shape inspired by Hepworth's forms. These minor references are important to me as a designer as they help build the aesthetic and portray the narrative surrounding the collection.
Every detail has a meaning behind it, whether that is a visual or a symbolic reference. Attention to the minor features helps build a narrative true to the foundations of the garments.
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