Into the Wilderness - Fashion Design for Industry BA (Hons) final year collection by Katherine Butler
This collection was inspired by my home, the Scottish Highlands. A region awash with wild beauty and a changeable landscape, it consists of a multitude of textures, colours, scents and elements. Living in constant contact with the harsh climate of the area are the native animals, naturally tough, hardy, able to withstand wind, rain and snow. I took inspiration from the animals' protection from the weather, predators and their own kind; their skin, fur, fleece horns and antlers.
Historic features of the area also inspired elements of the collection. Stone carvings created as far back as the 6th century by the Pictish race have similarities to the swirls and shapes of rams horns, a key shape used in my pattern cutting and knitted pieces. I researched life in the Highlands 60 years ago by interviewing locals and got an insight into their way of life, everyday activities and their hand to mouth existence.
It was the idea of self-sufficiency that made me look at traditional fabric manufacture and go back to basics. I sourced raw fleeces from local farmers and learnt how to card and spin wool by hand, before hand-knitting and braiding the yarn. I experimented with natural dyes, made from berries, plants and tea. Other fabrics used were all produced in Scotland - the lambswool I machine knitted and then felted, to create a sturdy, warm material.
My research into traditional cold weather garments worn in the Arctic and Himalayas was highly influential on the silhouette; multi-layered, textural and with hand-crafted sections.
After university, it seemed only fitting that I exhibited my collection in the Scottish Highlands - I worked with Gairloch Heritage Museum to create a display of all 6 outfits, plus one men's outfit from the "Bringing Home the Tartan" competition. I included information boards, photographs and all of my development work (project diaries, sketchbooks, fabric swatches), so visitors could really see the journey from research to final product.
