‘Rejects Reborn’ is a collection that seeks to explore a collision between the
extraordinary and the everyday. Using found material, the aim of the collection is
to turn “junk” into something valuable, giving materials another life, with a focus
on translating everyday objects into a more awe-inspiring setting through lighting
and staging. With a focus on sustainability, the collection largely consists of found
material sourced from recycle centres around Melbourne. As a designer, I am
constantly seeking new ways to combat material waste and consumption in my
practice and using recycled material allows me to achieve this.
My creative practice is centred entirely around the materiality and this notion of
reviving and re-birthing it. This material transformation occurs through slow, hand
construction techniques. The found material first had to be cut by hand before it
could then be attached to a garment by hand. I also utilise a lot of hand knitting to
transform the reflective tape and also finger knitting for the larger knitted pieces
in my collection. These techniques, along with both staging and lighting, all
contribute to the concept of material transformation.
Light plays a key role in how my collection is perceived as many of the materials I
am using are reflective and so I have been designing with the end product in mind,
thinking about the Instagram appeal of my garments and how they will translate
and transform through photography and social media into the digital space.
