Rebecca Richardson - BA (Hons) Fashion
My Love Letter
In 2024, I studied abroad in Oslo, Norway, for seven months. It changed the trajectory of my life completely, and it is where my collection started.
It transformed my tastes and practices as a designer, helping me become a better version of myself. It provided me with a new space to grow and be inspired, gain confidence in making decisions, and truly believe in and be proud of myself.
Oslo is the place where I discovered the graffiti skeleton drawings hidden all around the city, which brought me so much joy. This led me to collaborate with the artist himself, bringing together two different cultures. The Norwegian artist (@johnsojohn3000), with whom I collaborated, also had to conceal their identity, which led me to the idea of incorporating balaclavas into my looks, introducing a hidden identity element.
My menswear collection is made up of huge, oversized silhouettes warped and shaped by ruching details. I took inspiration from the graffiti skeletons to create ribcages on the jackets, and also ruched the centre backs of the shirt and coat to imitate the human spine. I wanted to create this sleek, cohesive feel to my collection where the models would be almost drowning in fabric.
My collection is not only a love letter to Oslo, it is also an ode to myself and all the creatives that I collaborated with on these garments to produce something that I am so unbelievably proud of.
The other theme behind my work was the idea of collaboration, as I wanted to incorporate as many different people and creatives as possible within my designs to share and celebrate with. This resulted in me working with Beglarian Fabrics, John Johnson, Osiris, and Alchemy England. All incredible people whom I am truly honoured to have worked with.
I am excited to see what I embark on next !
