Sweaty Betty Autumn/ Winter 2017
The Harvest All-In-One: I designed this as a lightweight alternative to my previous yoga all-in-one unitards. It utilises fabric from the Contour Leggings which is polyester-based and able to take vivid colour like Ultramarine, has a soft hand feel and flexible for yoga. It has a beautifully draped power mesh back detail with a build in bra.
Japandi
The overarching theme for AW17 was the relationship between Japanese and Scandinavian design and how their aesthetic ideals cross pollinated post-WW2. To understand more about Scandinavian design, the team took a trip to Stockholm and Copenhagen to immerse themselves in the cultures of the cities.
I was responsible for three different collections that were inspired by my experience in Stockholm and Copenhagen and my research of Japanese design. I called my theme “The Artistry of Food”.
I was really inspired by the beautiful restaurants in both cities who focus on fresh local seasonal ingredients, a respect for those ingredients and strive to maintain an unpretentious dining experience. There was also an abundance of farmers markets and flower shops that bring nature into the city. In my research of Scandinavian and Japanese cookery, I found some interesting Japanese principles related to cookery that I believe parallel design (paraphrased below):
1. Respect life, even the vegetables
2. Organise and take good care of your tools
3. Cook from the viewpoint of your guest
4. Never cut corners and always be creative
5. Three virtues: light, clean, construction
Each collection includes multiple end uses- yoga outfits, running outfits and fashion-led layering pieces like knitwear and outerwear to complete each outfit.
The Showa Skirt: I designed this as a fashion piece that can easily be layered over yoga leggings for an easy sport-to-street look. It features a karate-style removable belt, angled panels crossing over the front and culotte shorts underneath. The fabric has a casual brushed twill but is laminated to a jersey backing to maintain a sporty handwriting.
Collection I - Origami
The inspiration for this range really started with the cinnamon bun or Kanelbullar - one of the culinary highlights of Stockholm. I thought about how pastry is twisted and folded to create layers of lamination, reminding me of origami, and how the knots of the cinnamon buns relate to the knots of the obi belts you see on Japanese kimono.
The colour palette is inspired by the most amazing stationery shop in Copenhagen, called Playtype. The palette features bold ultramarine off set with cherry blossom pink, pale blue and vermillion, inspired by Japanese Torii gates.
The print is inspired by the art of folding, and the 2d shapes created firstly when folding paper to create origami.
The Obi All-In-One: I designed this using our Sensitive jersey fabric, which creates beautiful drape but is also work-out friendly. It has a deep neckline and a fixed belt inspired by the Obi belts on Japanese kimono. I wanted to showcase the 7-a-day print on this for a real show-stopping statement.
Collection II - Taste
The inspiration for this range came from the fresh food markets and the concept of cooking with local sustainable high quality raw ingredients. From the Japanese cookery principles, I personified the theme of “Respect life, even the vegetables”.
The colour palette is designed to make the multi-colour print pop, mostly focusing on black and vermillion, which almost acts as a new more sophisticated neon in activewear.
The print is special, because the vegetables pictured in the print were all photographed by me and purchased from Borough Market in London. I photographed them but also got to eat them, making sure they didn’t go to waste. For the composition of the print I wanted something quite graphic, linear and repetitive almost to create a geometric-looking print using organic shapes.
Collection III - Sustenance
The inspiration for this range was the idea of “comfort food” and wanting to create the same feeling of warmth and comfort through clothing. I wanted to translate the concept of a warm autumn harvest meal into print and textures.
The colour palette is sophisticated and autumnal using dark neutrals that create depth and richness.
The Neneko Knit and Miso Trousers: True to my “comfort food” theme, I wanted to design a cosy knitwear set that can be worn equally lounging on the sofa or out and about. The jumper features cut-out shoulders and thumb holes and the wide leg trousers have fine gauge jersey pockets. To give this knitwear set a Sweaty Betty edge, it has hidden neon tipping on the inside hems and waistband.
