Emily Hiley-Jones: Portfolio
Upon completion of an Art Foundation Degree at Arts University Bournemouth, I went on to graduate with a degree in BA Fashion and Textile Design at Winchester School of Art (University of Southampton- a Russel Group University).
Whilst studying at Winchester School of Art I took part in two competitions, the first being a chance to exhibit a garment at Mottisfont Abbey, within their Cicely Mary Barker Flower Fairy exhibition, my design was chosen and exhibited to hundreds of people at the National Trust venue.
I was also chosen to participate within a collaboration with Burberry in their Re-Burberry campaign, I had two outfits picked from my final collection and was asked to recreate them with original Burberry deadstock fabric. These outfits were then shown in Winchester Fashion Week catwalk and exhibited for the week.
My designs are rarely subtle, I like to experiment with contrast, enlarged silhouettes and bold colour.
I have a keen interest in exploring sustainability within my work, whether that is up-cycling scrap fabrics, dying my fabrics with fruit and vegetables or utilising recycled fabrics, I like to be conscious of the environmental impact of my designs.
Have a scroll through my work
GROWING PAINS:
Is less more? Certainly not for my graduate collection. Czech film director Jan Svankmajer's adaptation of Alice in Wonderland was at the forefront of my inspiration. I was inspired by the idea of a child progressing through adolescence and navigating obstacles along the way. I enjoyed the bazaar and unsettling undertone throughout Svankmajer’s film, and I wanted to capture this level of madness within my collection. I selected unlikely matches when it came to the fabric and trims, I used the reverse of each fabric to create an unexpected and imperfect look. Miu Miu was my main designer inspiration, I wanted to embrace the playful, child-like, and opulent tone that Miuccia Prada excels at creating.
My collection is created with deadstock or found fabrics and naturally dyed using fruit and vegetables. I donated my scrap paper and fabric to a local hedgehog shelter that used the scraps for their bedding. Growing Pains is seasonless and fits UK sizes 4-16, further increasing the collections sustainability. I made the decision to not digitally alter my images, as I feel it is important to show relatable, un-edited models.
I took inspiration from the first outfit that I wore out of hospital as a baby and outfits that I wore to significant events when I was a child. Re-designing the outfits that my parents put me in was exhilarating as I felt as if I could turn these controlled, well put-together outfits into something oozing madness.
BLUE RUN:
Inspired by a recent ski trip, this project began with a fascination with vintage ski wear. Upon researching, a sudden obsession with Princess Diana developed; her iconic and rebellious style began to be my area of interest. I designed various ski outfits, but I found that I could have the most fun designing and creating an outfit with the AW20 après ski scene in mind.
I took inspiration from Chanel in the 1990's in particular, the colours, proportions and accessories. I created "The Monster Puffer" using deadstock boucle fabric and recycled fleece lining. It was stuffed using the duck down from an old kingsize duvet. I also made a black recycled lycra catsuit with a large contrasting purple stripe.
ODE TO JOAN:
This collection stems from the handmade underwear by my Great Grandmother when sheltering from the war in 1940, she was hoping that her husband would return from war to see her wear them.
The collection features military colour and detail inspiration, teamed with the shape, silhouette and texture from the underwear. As the collection goes on, the outfits become more and more risqué, this reflects how Joan was dressing, the longer the war continued, Joan became frustrated and was preparing for her husband to never return. On his return in 1942, it was found that he had betrayed her, but she was forced to stay within the marriage. She became more rebellious, spent more time laughing with her friends and dressing carelessly.
Once her husband sadly passed away in 2006, Joan began to live her life; she was not allowed to drive beforehand so she bought a green sports car, she then decorated and painted her entire house from beige to baby pink as one last rebellious act. This collection depicts the layers of conformity, nonconformist and liberated acts that the women of the Second World War lived through.
The dress that I designed and made, displayed at the Mottisfont Flower Fairy exhibition
Re-Burberry competition dresses, designed and made by me, with original Burberry fabric.
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