This graduate collection draws inspiration from Virginia Woolf’s ‘Orlando’ and its film adaptation by Sally Potter, with a focus on costume design. Intrigued by the novel’s fluidity and blending of time periods, I explored diverse eras for colour and design cues, crafting a series of knitted samples rich in cultural and historical references. I opted to use mercerised cottons and silks in order to achieve bold motifs and structures as well as to create durable and resilient fabrics suitable for costumes.

My additional portfolio project delves into enhancing knitted sample surfaces. After experimenting with various hand processes, I returned to a technique involving bleach and bouclé yarn, known as devoré, echoing the structural elements of my graduate collection with a softer, handcrafted approach. The chosen gold and silver palette embodies the opulence depicted in the film. This exploration merges my interest in costume design with a nuanced understanding of fabric manipulation, resulting in a cohesive body of work influenced by ‘Orlando’s’ thematic richness and visual allure.