2021 Graduate Showcase: Emily Hiley-Jones

“Growing Pains”

Is less more? Certainly not for my graduate collection. Czech film director Jan Svankmajer’s adaptation of Alice in Wonderland was at the forefront of my inspiration. I was inspired by the idea of a child progressing through adolescence and navigating obstacles along the way. I enjoyed the bizzare and unsettling undertone throughout Svankmajer’s film, and I wanted to capture this level of madness within my collection. I selected unlikely matches when it came to the fabric and trims, I used the reverse of each fabric to create an unexpected and imperfect look. Miu Miu was my main designer inspiration, I wanted to embrace the playful, child-like, and opulent tone that Miuccia Prada excels at creating. My collection is entirely created with deadstock or found fabrics and naturally dyed using fruit and vegetables. I donated my scrap paper and fabric to a local hedgehog shelter that used the scraps for their bedding. Growing Pains is seasonless and fits UK sizes 4-16, further increasing the collections sustainability. I made the decision to not digitally alter my images, as I feel it is important to show relatable, un-edited models. This collection of dresses is unisex, and I am sure you will agree that Harry Styles would look captivating on the cover of British Vogue in one of my dresses. I took inspiration from the first outfit that I wore out of hospital as a baby and outfits that I wore to significant events when I was a child. Re-designing the outfits that my parents put me in was exhilarating as I felt as if I could turn these controlled, well put-together outfits into something oozing madness.