Molly Harwood - BA (Hons) Fashion
Collecting Time
My interest in the fashion industry began when I studied textiles and learnt the art of hand embroidery, silk painting and appliqué. This continued into my further education where I explored machine embroidery and portraiture. Textiles are predominantly prevalent in my work today.
My style is heavily feminine and focused on womenswear. I find that I often create my own muse who lives in a fantasy world as I like drawing on mystique. ‘Collecting Time’ was inspired by a Venetian hostel I stayed at that was decorated with various Italian antiques. I imagined a storyline about an eccentric, isolated elderly lady. She has messy hair filled with vintage brooches, a bold luxurious style, and a cluttered but beautiful home. Creating a muse that tells a story, sparks imagination and evokes feelings. I like to play on the idea that a garment has had its own life and personality.
Sustainability is very important to me, I’ve always focused on sustainable design practices by using natural fibres and dyes in my work that were farmed sustainably without using pollutants.
I’ve always been drawn to antiques as I have an appreciation for the time they carry, the hands they’ve passed through and the places they’ve been. Imperfections tell a story of the item passing through time and carry the meanings of multiple generations before me. The Venetian hostel appealed to me as it felt like a time capsule celebrating objects collected from many generations that told stories from the past.
I have a high appreciation for historical items as they would’ve been handcrafted, making them unique as the human hand cannot identically replicate. Objects aren’t just quick and profitable but are uniquely engineered, aesthetically considered and require skill, which is something that is a rarity in today's era of mass production and consumption.
