In the beginning...
Much brainstorming and tea drinking to come up with a concept, one which could be lived with for at least a year. I've been wanting to combine fashion and my photography, so... How can photography inspire clothing design?! tada!
This evolved into 'why do I take pictures of certain things?'
For myself it's reliving emotions from the past reflected in the present, allegories of private thoughts and feelings. A response to my culture and thousands of years of family history; that of living memory, through stories told, to the whispering of the world around us.
The environment, my surroundings, have always influenced me. I've grown up in England but also spent some time in Finland. I'm intrigued by the Finnish side of my heritage. I've never lived the reality there, only snippets of life; holidays, escapes. I see the magic, not the daily drudge.
Duality runs through my veins. On one hand I'm Finnish; minimal, quiet, melancholy, stark, with a touch of dark romance. On the other I'm British; maximal, eccentric, detailed, rich, with a nice cup of tea!
The character of time-worn buildings fills me with awe (living near Cambridge I'm spoilt for choice!)
One especially vivid memory is of my Father taking photographs of windows. At the time I thought it odd, but now I find myself drawn to them too. The idea of windows filtered through into rectangular pattern cutting, mitred corners, and the ability to look through a garment by using cut work applique.
The composition of a photograph is also important to me. From these I explored the idea of repeating lines, transforming them into hand-knit ribbing (via pleating, but apparently pleating has been 'done' a lot by students recently).
I'd love to hear what inspires your work! I hope to share some trend and market research next time...
