I’m the co-founder of the Lost Bond Project. I am a 19 year old fashion designer and mental health speaker from London. For the last year, I have been doing commission work in and around London, whilst doing talks in schools in England on the topic of mental health. I am now based in Paris, where I am studying and continuing to do commission work on the side. Gabriel Goss and Jude Wakeley also run the project with me. Gabriel is a professional rugby player and commission photographer and Jude is an artist based in London.

The Lost Bond project came about 2 years ago. The three of us have all faced mental health episodes, so the project holds very dear to us. It is a means for change. We were not satisfied with the way youth mental health issues were being addressed and the fact that young people didn’t have platforms specifically for them to identify with, particularly concerning mental health.

The film derives from personal experience, really, our own struggles with mental health. Especially with shared experiences amongst those involved in the project, inspiration and insights into the film were a constant, as we filmed it in 2020. The project and the film go hand in hand. The short film is thus far the best representation of our message and goals: that it is time to start a conversation.

A problem shared is a problem halved. Community and unity are embedded in our DNA at Lost Bond. Collectively and individually, it is essential that we converse with one another. In whatever shape or form, it gives you a sense of security. We wanted to build on this, so we can indeed show that there is power in identifying our problems and speaking out against them.

Again, as creatives we feel that by creating tangible, physical art in whatever medium it stems from, we can feel a lot better. The performing arts have the ability to touch you on a completely different level than words at times. The way youth mental health issues were addressed at school did not sit well with us. Approaching the subject through different mediums gives different insights into youth mental health, not to just think that words are the only tool we can use.

Our main aim for the film was promote the strength of imagination and the power of talking openly with each other. Although it is difficult at first, you find strength in doing so. With art, like the topic of mental health, there is not one answer. There are many paths you can take. Many which we overlook or have not approached yet. We want our audience to understand that there is not a set way to approach your problems. That conversing is the start, but there are countless coping mechanisms.

The conceptual imagery we have used throughout encourages the audience to use their imagination as to what they want to take out of the film. The idea is mixing our everyday experiences with concepts that we do not want to believe or see at times. We particularly wanted to expose this: the unapologetic truth behind the topic.

For a film that is deliberately very hard hitting, the atmosphere on set was a lot of fun. Every set day there was a lot of running around, getting everything last minute, but always a lot of fun. We collaborated with many different people on the film, so everyday was different, just bouncing ideas off each other, hitching rides to different locations to shoot, calling in favours, shoot days were never short of surprises.

We wanted to illustrate mental health as a physical figure, in order for the audience to understand his movements more. With him lurking in the shadows of the scenes, we could show that he is omnipresent in our lives through the good times and the bad. His appearance really came about through our idea of what anxiety and depression can look like, not a scary monster, but more of a towering shadow. Not always at the forefront of our minds, but always somewhere to be seen. The long silhouettes of his dress in the film, allowed us to expose his shadows and figure.

The collection takes you from the beginning to ending of a young person’s mental health journey. I designed the collection in the first lockdown to resonate with the current times we were facing. The collection explores the diagnosis of a mental health issue, the confusion of not knowing which direction to move towards, but ends with self and mental acceptance. You do not wake up one day rid of your anxiety, but you learn ways to accept and understand it. The collection begins with fine cuts, high necklines and a dark colour palette before moving to larger silhouettes and brighter colours. Fabric manipulation and feel are an important element of the collection.
It’s also important to note that the collection appeals to a mental sustainability as well as the physical. Many small business have struggled this pandemic, particularly in the fashion field. We sourced all fabric for the collection from dead stock warehouses around London in order to help small businesses. A note of appreciation regarding the collection must go to the amazing Yasue and Yumi Carter, two ladies who I have the upmost admiration for. They are the most hard working. Yumi encouraged me 2 years ago to make the film and Yasue the collection. We do not give production companies and pattern cutters the recognition they deserve in this industry. It is known they are crucial to the process, but little is said in media about there hard work, skills and time they put into each garment. I am extremely happy to have been able to work for and beside them both.

We also run an IGTV series called Speakeasy, which we set up during the first lockdown. The series aims to build discussion and understanding around youth mental health, as young people share their stories. Following this, we have spoken on podcasts, radio stations and schools relaying the message that it is time to start a conversation.
Covid has taught us to not think too far into the future and to focus on the present, an important message regarding youth mental health. Yet, we have a lot in store for 2021. Many more collaborations with young people and companies across the industry will be announced soon, along with a series of short films, expected to be released this summer.