Childrenswear Designer of the Year

This collection for boys, ages 8-14, is inspired by an imagined future rooted in nostalgic imagery associated with the sci-fi sub-genre of Steampunk, which harks back to the 19th century Victorian era of steam-powered engineering wonders. My interest, however, is not directly quoting this popular trend, but rather combining it with the iconography of 1950’s science fiction films to produce a more contemporary look and feel. Assembling collages for pictorial reference, I discovered unique relationships between my theme and the shapes and qualities of various materials. As a designer, I am fascinated by the physical sensations of texture, structure and color, and focused on developing a rich fabric story that utilizes authentic and durable materials of the past – wool, leather, and metal – while also customizing my palette by collaging, printing, bleaching, and dyeing, and choosing just the right details and accessories to underscore the overall dynamic and desired effect.