Arts Thread

Growing up we grieve the loss of childhood innocence, unable to return to early idyllic, unspoiled memories. This collection explores these moments through the lens of my late Grandmothers childhood upbringing in Glasgow. As children, we often live in filtered reality, with raw truth softened by gentle innocence. An unfiltered observation of the reality showcases the hardship within tenement life, whilst childhood innocence alters existence to construct dream-like, idealistic interpretations. This project blends these opposing tones into designs which materialise pure childhood surrealism. Inspired by Glaswegian life and it’s urban city landscape, I explore childhood through shifting perspectives. Unfiltered reality expresses fine line subtleties with bold compositions, conveying the structure and order that exists amongst chaos. Childhood innocence adopts a naive approach, refining childlike marks into sophistication. Hazy blends contrast considered scribbles to mirror early childhood ideals, with absent space throughout echoing the loss or erasure of memories. Through a contemporary lens I compose textiles that shift and flow for an androgenous human form, contrasting structural compositions with material tenderness. Silks blend to mirror the blurring of memories, with sheers that mimic the soft veil over early upbringing. I envision my print designs as structural in motion, constructing avant-garde, exaggerated silhouettes that drape and fall elegantly. This collection of high fashion textiles reconnects my Gran and I beyond boundaries of time and life, following her innocent childhood spirit through the city she once called home.