THE DUST | Spring 2021

Dust is dancing in the space
A dog and bird are far away
The sun comes up and down each day
Light and shadow change the walls
The river flows out to the sea

Love
Don’t go away
Come back this way
Come back and stay
Forever and Ever

The World Spins

I have been reflecting on this notion, that time moves ever forward, while also feeling elastic. Sometimes we can quickly be drawn back into the past, to memories, and histories.

Thoughts very much entangled with a sense of impermanence, of how fleeting even a full life can be, of how we are all just visitors here, and that the one constant is the land. The Dust. This dust which gets compressed over time to make the hardest stone. Yet can so quickly become dust again under human hands.

Our collective responsibility to our planet lies at the core of this. My fondness for having my bare feet in the dusty earth of Australia. How happy and free I feel in our ocean. A determination to pursue my work in the most sustainable way I can.

Straddling this meeting of the natural world with the industrial is at the core of my work. Finding my inspiration and reverence for nature, and my own creative process that is technical and manufactured.

A sense of balancing history with newness. Of classical form with modern fabric. A collection of sandy tones, and jewel like highlights, of subtle textures and the drapery carved in classic marble.

This collection also confronts what it means to me to be a modern Australian woman. How to move beyond the stereotypes and encourage more freedom, confidence and individuality.

Taking traditional tailoring such as a trench coat, a men shirt or a blazer and re-patterning them adding feminine flourishes. A draped puff sleeve, a soft gathering, knotted, twisted details. Re-tailoring styles for our lifestyle – adding volume and stretch for ease of movement, de-constructing garments to create comfort.

Addressing the multiplicity of use of our clothes to ensure longevity of wear. Modern life means we need to transition from home to work to play in a single outfit. Australian Made lustrous jersey knits are elevated in languid dresses. Satins are downplayed for day wear. The shirt dress has been re-imagined in draped elegance and delicious soft pastels.

There is an abundance of gathers and folds that envelope the body and form a perfect fit on our many shapes.

The palette is built of tonal layers found in our native landscape, punctuated by the intensity of a flame tree in flower, or a wattle in glorious bloom.
Vibrant floral print garments are contrasted with sharp monochromes.

This spring, whether you close your eyes and imagine lying on a warm sandstone rock, or diving into our tropical waters this collection is an ode to the fragility of life. How much we must savour the small moments. And how many small moments become grand gestures.