How do we give a woman a voice who can’t stand up for herself? We give her rights. The women from the Irish suffragette movement in 1900 inspired me to create this collection. The Suffragettes were a group of women who fought for equality and won the right to vote. It was such a fascinating time in history. You have these women who live in poverty contrasted with a handful of educated women such as Countess Markovich and Maud Gonne with a drive for change. Research of this time period was extremely important for the development of this collection.
The main elements that inspired the design of this collection were photographs of these women, each with a story to tell. I developed this collection by hand drawing, collaging, working from the stand, and innovative pattern cutting. I enjoyed the process of mixing different elements from the story for embroidery and technical samples. The collection is a movement from loose and frayed to fitted and powerful. My aim is to give these women a voice.