Issie Wild's achievement in winning the GFW24 Considered Fashion Award Supported by Snag highlights her exceptional talent and commitment to innovative fashion design, marking her as a promising figure emerging from Nottingham Trent University in the competitive fashion industry.
What is the most valuable thing you have learnt at university?
The importance of idea generation rather than focussing purely on construction and sewing skills. Revolutionary ideas and concepts are 100 times more valuable than a well-made piece.
What was the starting point of inspiration for your final project?
I experienced a lot of loneliness and disconnect in my final year and found solace and connection in nature walks and being outdoors. I wanted to create a collection that expresses the importance of this connection between man and nature and makes the viewer reflect on the relationship we have with nature, especially within the context of the fashion industry.
What materials have you used, and how did you source them?
I created an entirely biodegradable collection, made from organic hemp and cotton blend denim, Seacell jersey, and hemp and cotton sweatshirt fabric. I sourced them from a known organic fabric retailer after researching their supply chain. I grew kombucha fabric as a 鈥榣iving鈥� element to connect the wearer to the clothing and add interesting textures that represented paths of connection. I also created my own milk casein buttons to avoid metal fixtures by mixing milk and vinegar to create a dough and then baking it in the oven. I also used natural dyes that I extracted from the plants, such as madder root, liquorice, and annatto orange.
How has it evolved from your initial ideas, and what have you learnt along the way?
It has evolved through experimentation in creating bio fabrics. I learnt how to properly dye fabrics with natural pigments and found natural mordants, such as wine tannins, to create vibrant colours. I learnt how to grow bio fabrics, the issues and problems with mass production, and how important it is to properly represent your collection through photography, i.e., picking a suitable photoshoot location to play off the concept and clothing. I chose an abandoned lacemaking mill to emphasise this disconnect between man and nature and our overconsumption.
What are the messages and themes behind your project that you want people to take away?
I want to show that sustainable clothing is not as difficult to make as large-scale companies make it seem. While I discovered many difficulties in the production of biofabrics, with investment and more experimentation, it is possible. I used the collection to show our disconnect from the world, which gives us all the resources we use every day, plants, water, etc.
What鈥檚 an aspect of the fashion industry that you鈥檙e passionate about fixing or having a positive impact on?
Sustainability and the use of natural dyes鈥攎y project showed the limitless possibilities of natural dyeing at a commercial scale.
What are you planning to do following your BA?
Continue my education looking into fashion media and photography, as well as focussing on sustainability in the industry. I would love to work as a sustainability officer and be able to impact the processes within a business.
Stay updated with Issie on .