These types of references (bows, ruffles, etc.) are typically attributed as cute and feminine but are always used in the collections in a way that is subtly subverted or not as it seems. Bows are not purely decorative but actually very functional, in fact quite utilitarian, so I like to utilise them as fastenings, playing with scale and distribution. Ruffles are never 'just ruffles', for example, my signature 'hand-linked' ruffle technique on sheer silk organza; I invented a way to integrate the ruffles into the garment without any stitching at all, using special cutting and construction techniques.
Design elements are never just decorative despite the apparent contradiction. Here, the construction and textile become part of the same process rather than merely surface decoration. With these pieces, I am essentially quietly saying there is always more to it than meets the eye. But it can also be a beautiful thing. Transparency is a tool I keep coming back to as a material property that I think embodies the split ideas of ephemerality/permanence and vulnerability/strength.
My obsession with repetition in design is a way to satisfy my appetite for intensive construction whilst somehow still achieving the feeling of minimalism. One form or action repeated over and over produces a special kind of minimalist/maximalist dichotomy. I find that visually appealing - I think this links strongly to the repetitive patterns found in both science and nature.