Justyna Jagielnik 

In my conceptual collection I will focus on people mourning and grieving as a natural response to loss. Our emotions and behaving during this specific time are natural and indisputable. However, our believes regarding what happen to our beloved after death and way to pass painful time might be different. I based my project on historical and social research but also on my own life experience. Grieving time is different for each person but is defined also by culture, history and family traditions. Looking into social and psychological perspective view on after life and following work of Grayson Perry, Ride of Passage “Death” and rituals in ancient culture, I realise that grieving has tremendous impact on sociology and human behaviours not only nowadays, but in the past where I discovered significant traces of rituals, traditions, ways of burying people and symbols. I based my work on all those concepts and on my own experience with mourning. 

In my designs I choose carefully silhouette, colours and fabrics to be related to my research areas. High collars covering face, long sleeve cuffs, maxi length garments below ankles, unnaturally exaggerate slim waist, all of those demonstrate our sadness, feeling of loneliness and strong desire to separate during mourning time and are significant for ghost, phantom and humans after death. Choice of fabric from heavy weight to floating sheer semi-transparent has a purpose to show an extremely thin line between human life and death, strength and weakness, those border lines are blurred and hard to establish. I decided to use for my project shiny black PVC leather and shiny heavy wool as it has strong and stiff structure and is fully covered. Crepe as a traditional mourning fabric gown will go well with my garments giving flowing nice airy silhouette.

My experimentation with polyester organza and heat gun allows me to create texture which give me effect of something expired and death, like decomposing body. I have done also manipulations with stitches on fabric using thick thread and sewing it by hand. They will reflect process of healing wound, pain and relief same time. I use wall filler to create an extra layer on fabric, after drying this layer start to crack, I wanted to get effect of what happen with body when is not alive anymore, but also how we feel during mourning time. Our heart is broken we are falling apart. This crackle process was very important in my project and it will show conceptual realistic way how our soul, brain and body are connected to each other. 

I believe our soul stays alive after we die and is wondering around living people, death people are always will by our side, protecting us. Colour tone I have used for my collection is relevant to traditional mourning attire and to mystical other side, midnight black, grey to light tones and natural shades broken with burgundy and purple details. 

I would like to present my collection in spectacular way, show stopper garment will be dress covered with indoor filling, the crackles will start to fell while model is walking on catwalk, along with unconventional music like heart beat or drooped ground on coffin sound, also I would like create mystical atmosphere by using dark lights and dry ice to have foggy vision. 

I looked to my contemporaries for reference and I can compare my designer aesthetic and specialization in textile to few designers whom work I admire. Dilara Findikoglu, Annakiki and Blindness their work is strongly connected to textile and mixing styles in different variety. I think they clearly showing their concept and ideas through garments, aesthetic and the way of presenting fabrics. Annakiki and her sharp tailoring, pointed shoulders and using of interesting textiles, colours and prints are fascinating. Dilara Findikoglu is one of my favourite conceptual designer and storyteller, she empowers tailoring. Her work and designs are inspired by historical references twisted with social roles in provocative but highly effective way. I am a big fan of Blindness gender-less brand from South Korea and the way their use dramatic silhouette, bold colours and rich flashy embellishment in their designs. I think it’s very successful how they play with textile, prints and manipulations in different ways. 

Thinking about my aesthetic as a designer and my specialization in textile I consider working with UKFT as they seem to be a perfect platform to help me to present my collection in efficient way, but also accordingly to my desire outcome and grow in industry as a young designer. They are well known for successful work with other designers, collaborations with fashion brands and networking with manufactures.