Poppy
McNish-Tivnan

The Devil of Chicago

From pharmacist to serial killer, H.H. Holmes is the main inspiration for my graduate collection. My aim was to create a collection consisting of six-looks, inspired by the monstrous killings of H.H. Holmes for spring/summer 2021/22. As Holmes has always been noted wearing a three-piece-suit, I have worked off the basis of a tailored women’s suit. My collection features 100% linen garments, with soft tailoring to symbolise the professional guise of H.H. Holmes. The distressed seams crawling throughout the garments have all derived from linear drawings of deathly hands. The careful placement around the body and the use of numerous panels mimic the floor-plans of Holmes’ murder castle. My collection features dominantly neutral tones, in following the theme of old documentation and news reports from the 1880’s at the time of these killings.