Recently, I completed a mini-collection to address one of my concerns of the fashion industry. As consumerism and consumer waste continue to rise, I wanted my designs to be created purely of the fabrics I already owned, including smaller remnants and repurposed materials. While sketching ideas, I was greatly influenced by the rhythm of jazz music, Mod silhouettes and bold patterns of the 1960s, and vintage Hawaiian draped dresses. The culture of Hawaii continued to come to mind as I began my research and I hoped to reflect the essence of tropical beauty with a contrasting modern take on Mod style.
Hokule’a, meaning “Star of Gladness,” was the name of a traditional Hawaiian canoe launched to build momentum for a powerful Hawaiian cultural renaissance in 1975. Along with the resurgence of traditional voyaging and navigation came the renewal of Hawaiian language, dance, chant, and other expressions of Hawaiian culture. The voyage lasting until 2017 (according to the most recent data I could find), was about the universal quest for a better life, the marriage of will and knowledge, the spirit and flame of new hope. These feelings completely embody my passion for self expression through design which is why I chose to name the collection after this power voyage and message. (For more information, click here)
Designing a cohesive collection within these constraints was a big challenge. Putting together several printed fabrics before illustrating designs wracked my brain; I tend to know the designs prior to purchasing the fabrics. However, I started one look at a time and as each piece began to develop I could see the feel of the collection forming. I also took the opportunity to play with remnant fabrics in free-form draping and found these designs to be my favorites. Draping a two sided top of left over silk gingham and a textured silk dupioni was a fun experiment because the sides are completely different based on the amount of fabric I had for each and how the fabric wanted to lay. But from a distance the sides mimic each other. I called this top the Hina Draped Top, after the Hawaiian Goddess Hina who is described as becoming tired of living in the crowd and flees to the Moon, eventually becoming goddess of it. Hence, the light and dark side of the moon (queue Pink Floyd).
This ideology of draping with remnants was both challenging and incredibly creative. I let myself be completely open and listen to how the fabric wanted to fall. I even made last minute edits to swap for a better fabric half way though, shown in the slide towards the bottom. These free-form pieces were hand-sewn to maintain the integrity of the drape. I hope to incorporate and expand this practice throughout my design career, welcoming the unexpected and letting less materials go to waste.
Please enjoy a few pictures of my process.
Hina Draped Top
gingham side sewing adjustments
Hina Draped Top
dupioni side sewing adjustments
