Ellen Dench

A high end garment and materials collection which addresses the gender gap within the fashion industry by pushing social boundaries in relation to colour and form. The research included experimentation with gender associated colours such as blue and pink, inspired by the Pantone 2016 colours of the year, as well as gender neutral colours such as ecru. By studying both traditional and contemporary menswear and womenswear, garments in the collection featured characteristics of both genders; including lapels, frills and trims. Taking inspiration from designers such as Dice Kayek and Issey Miyake, the organic form of the materials and garments in the project were built up with series of interlocking and entrelac triangles. This technique challenged the abilities of the domestic knitting machine, and enabled materials to be shaped to fit the human form using contemporary garment construction techniques.

ellen.dench@gmail.com