Words and Photos by Millie Edwick
When it came to coming up with early concepts and ideas for her graduate collection, third year fashion design student Honor Boston found inspiration in an unlikely place. The photograph that she credits as the influence for her entire collection is a simple black-and-white vintage piece, but to her represents much more.
“I found the image on holiday in Portugal, it was from a flea market, I think it’s Victorian era. When I saw it, I just thought that really reminds me of how clothing felt when I was a kid – her having that big grin on her face and bow on her head, like she’s clearly dressed herself and feels 10 out of 10,” Boston said.
Her final collection features a range of exaggerated and playful silhouettes, structures made from tulle and touches of chic “office wear” pieces blended with more girlish ones. The accessories, she tells me, she hopes to have covered in ribbons, not unlike the large bow atop her muse from the photograph.
“Don’t conform, you should wear what you want and have fun with it”
Honor’s collection encourages freedom and quirkiness with clothing: “If there was no one else in the world and you could just put on whatever you wanted and go out in the street, kind of what would that look like.
“It’s just like freedom and choice with clothing… not feeling constrained in buying like uniforms or modern societal ideals… it’s more about expressing yourself and being fun… I don’t think we have enough fun with clothing as we get older.”
Honor thanks her previous experience with internships and job opportunities for her approach towards design now.
“I worked at two very different places… SS Daley which was men’s tailoring… quite a modern tailor and I was doing pattern cutting. I learnt a lot about making pieces of clothing that function well, whereas when I was working at Cecilie Bahnsen, it was a lot of like girly dresses that are big and poofy and pink which is wonderful too. I think having those two experiences has shaped a little bit how I approach design now… In the end it’s me and it’s because I’ve been taught in those places or influenced by people.”
“My collection is quite feminine but I think that’s because of how I’ve grown up viewing fashion through a female lens… but it hasn’t really been a thing in my head whether I’m designing for more feminine or more masculine… I’m just designing clothes that are feminine that anyone can wear.”
When asked for her thoughts on the university experience, she had only praises.
“The teaching is really good. I’ve been really lucky and I’ve had great tutors throughout all of it, they’ve been so kind and really helped me with how I develop my ideas and how I think creatively. I haven’t felt pressured to do anything or be a certain way.”
Honor tells me her third year has gone fast.
“It feels like a crazy whirlwind! Like I don’t know what’s going on half the time and I think I’ll feel like I’ve achieved something afterwards.
“It is a big achievement, but I think I’ll always look back and think *ugh* I should’ve done that differently… but that’s okay it’s all part of the process.”
Honor’s final collection with all five looks will be shown during Graduate Fashion Week in Kingston University’s graduate fashion show between 13 and 16 June.
Camila Muiambo
Erica Goncalves Lopes
Bethany Aspinall