Browsing through old family photograph albums of my grandparent’s time in the Korean War as a medic and nurse in the British Navy is where I found the initial inspiration for my collection.
The snapshots depicted travel, culture and historical significance. The images take you through a journey of life at sea on the medical ship, witnessing Japan and Korea and their idyllic scenery, not forgetting the group shots of the comrades and the ships pet cat Thomas.
I began more secondary research into the Korean war and found the two juxtaposing accounts intriguing. The textbooks show violence and horror while these photo albums show another side of warmth and nostalgia. Thus, my final collection became a study of two sides of the same story.
The silhouettes of the collection derived from looking at both military uniforms and dress from the 1950s. This led to creating more masculine bold shapes, especially when considering the outerwear. The fabrics of heavy wool, fur and leather only furthered the impact of these strong forms. The introduction of the abstract embroidered leather faces at first glance offers a softer calming effect to the garments but in reality this intricate detail gives a deeper meaning. Perhaps suggesting the faces of the crew in the photographs.
The overall colour palette of the collection is tonal with added textures from the different fabrics. The substantial fur and wools contrasting with the Swiss cottons and pinks echo the same juxtaposition as the research. Eyelets add another dimension with the metal and a sense of functionality in the garments. The collection offers a harmonising colour story with thoughtful fabrics and embellishment stemming from nostalgia in the family.
