Headspace

For the last 2 years the Academy has, in line with the institutions policy to support the education and training of their staff, supported me in the attainment of my Degree in Design. I began my studies in 2007 at Cape Peninsula University of Technology.

Needless to say it was a stressful two years as I studied and worked. The years were full of late nights and stressful deadlines, culminating in my very first Installation.




















I pushed myself beyond anything I had ever done before - knowing that these kind of opportunities, where I would get to express myself so creatively, were few and far between.




















I spent 2007 agonising over what my thesis would entail and went from one idea to the next almost on a daily basis. Ironically it was my love for teaching the history of fashion which led me to settle on my final concept.




















The idea behind the designs revolved around the concept of androgyny. The designs were inspired by men's wear from the16th-19th Centuries. I was inspired by the 21st century woman and the blurring of gender boundaries that exists in today's society.




















The whole process was extremely organic for me - i found it very difficult when my lecturers would ask to see the entire range from start to finish. I would be working on one design and only once it truly took on its form could I begin to conceptualize the next garment in the sequence of designs.




















I experimented with fabric manipulation methods & incorporated what I call a 'diamond tuck' technique into each garment. This was a time consuming & monotonous process. At times I thought I was crazy for even attempting it. The first garment I made was a waistcoat, inspired by the 16th C male doublet, it took me about 40 hours of hand work to complete. I then wondered what I had gotten myself into after my lecturer encouraged me to incorporate it into every garment!




















The range is built around contradicting concepts of masculine/feminine, hard/soft fabrics, dark/light colours, fitted/loose, constrictive/comfortable and hand vs. machine construction.

The garments are made up of a mixture of wool and hemp suiting (representing the masculine) and silk (representing the feminine).

The evident grey colour represents the 'blurring' of gender boundaries in the 21st century.

It was difficult to juggle being a student and teaching (not to mention somewhat ironic), but with the help of all the staff at the Academy, I was able to successfully complete my 2 years of study and pass my practical component with distinction. I wish to thank Bianca, Tania, Rene, Irene & Suzanne for all your patience and encouragement through a very challenging time. All their support is testament to the spirit of individual commitment, caring, quality education and training that DAF values above all.