Mood Board

The designers ability to challenge conventional silhouettes is what I find most inspiring as it motivates me to think beyond the traditional silhouettes and push the boundaries of fashion design in order to best translate my complex creative process. Hence I decided to explore these artists’ styles to challenge myself.

My best friends mom had breast cancer. I aimed to capture the beauty of her scar, seeing it as a symbol of her bravery and the second chance she was given. The scar tells a story of her journey, not just a mark. By using butterflies and flowers, I wanted to convey that beautiful things can blossom over time. These elements aren’t meant to hide her scars but to enhance them, reminding her to choose recovery and healing, showing that even in the ordinary, beauty and strength can emerge.

I sculpted flowers from wire and placed them over the scar on the mannequin, using net material to make the  shape of her body. This piece represents the armor she wears, symbolizing her journey with beauty and life. The flowers signify growth and hope for the future, turning her experience into a meaningful expression of resilience.

I explored various ways to portray the armor, starting by hand-shaping the net into an approximation of a body. I then applied cast strips over it, creating the initial form. Afterward, I carefully smoothed plaster of Paris over the cast, one tablespoon at a time, to build a strong base that I later painted. Doing this brought the vision i had to life.

This collection symbolises my constant struggle with the two cultures I have been raised in as a South Asian rooted family growing up in a Western society, I always felt as though in this multiverse I inhabited a space between both cultures, from not conforming to either to being alienated by both, this limbo between both words became my refuge. This collection is a representation of my safe space that has now become my source of empowerment as I exploit this sense of void to create unique pieces that beautifully intertwine both worlds with each having maintained its own identity.

Upon researching these designers I found myself particularly drawn to the intricate use of colours, patterns and textures. These elements in particular are reminiscent of my south Asian heritage having grown up away from home where it’s a constant struggle to remain connected to my roots.

The painting on the left was inspired by Mattise and his unique technique of painting and focusing on geometrical patterns.

The inspiration for this outfit came from my desire to challenge the ordinary by fusing western and eastern silhouettes whilst also feminizing the pant, a traditional style worn by men in Pakistan called a ‘dhoti’ as it finds its way into the modern world being named “shalwar”.