1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
This project is in collaboration with menswear designer Faye Oakenfull, and print designer Charlie Hetheridge, on a collection inspired by Faye's Uncle Walter, writer and romantic, who died tragically of AIDs in 1994. Central to my practice is an interest in the therapeutic and healing benefits of stitching. In my dissertation, I wrote about the relationship between stitch and wellbeing, and explored the notion of ‘stitching yourself better’; an idea that encourages the act of embroidery as a tool for happiness. In one of my chapters, I researched the AIDs Memorial Quilt as an example of ‘stitching through pain’.
A quilt was never made for Uncle Walter, and so in this collaboration, I have made a quilt in his memory. It is embroidered with lines from Dylan Thomas’ ‘Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night’, which was Walter’s favourite poem. The quilt is to be worn, draped over an embellished man. I have also embroidered an ode to Walter, in the form of a portrait stitched into a bomber jacket, and an array of embroidered badges of souvenirs collected from Faye’s life. This collection is an exuberant and joyful celebration of life and textiles.