Hello everyone!

What we have here is my first proper blog post! So that’s exciting!

I suppose the best place to start would be an update as to where I am now with work, making and moving and/or shaking.

All you need to do is read my CV to see where I was up to 2019. Freshly graduated from Norwich University of the Arts, I had fallen on my feet with an excellent job that was the result of a successful internship. Whilst I was hoping to move into design in time, I was very happy working in production. I hadn’t known an awful lot about what went into the running of an international business besides trying and failing to get in customer orders in retail before Christmas. I was lucky enough to have the kindest and most efficient manager and a wonderful boss who taught me everything I needed to know to become an efficient member of the department in just a few months. By January 2020 we were already dealing with the consequences Covid 19 was having on the supply chain. By march we were out of the office and before furlough I was faced with redundancy.

Thankfully Mr Sunak saw fit that we would be looked after and I had a steady wage until July. The other thing i was left with was an awful lot of time and very little to do with it, i hadn’t had more than two weeks off work or university in four years. It took me a while to adjust to being back at home in the country, actually missing the tube, missing the commute and the office environment, missing parties and parcels and that wonderful whirlwind of a work/life balance in fashion.

Please understand that I have a full grasp of how lucky i am to have been able to return to a safe and happy home, be healthy and have a steady income. While the world was burning (literally in some places) I always remained grateful for what i had, these observations are made only from my perspective and circumstances.

I think about three weeks into lockdown I decided to head back to my sketchbook, the place I had felt happiest and most comfortable all my life. If I’m not happy with what is going on around me, I am able to create a whole new place, a cast of characters in my life who are colourful, creative and completely my creation, I started in the garden, something I have always appreciated but became our sanctuary in lockdown. How could I not be inspired by tumbling Wisteria, hanging Honeysuckle and fabulous ferns.

I had seen other people online selling their work during lockdown, my sister has a successful online art business (@blackfiction) as does my friend Georgina (@georgecollart) and after a little persuasion from my family I built up the confidence to put my work out there to sell. The thing is, no matter how much praise you receive for your work, when it is so personal and you are going out on your own to sell your wares, you are opening yourself up to a world of potential criticism and the fear of a complete lack of interest or sales is very daunting.

Now, speaking from experience, I am pleased to say i have seen some success with it. I have now released several prints and two collaborations and have had the kindest and most encouraging response. This led to an idea, a plan hatched with my good friend Kitty. Unfortunately, Kitty (@kxttydry) lost her hair to Alopecia Ariata in the Spring of 2020 and we wanted to put our heads together to raise some money for the cause after what had been a very challenging few months. Together we created a range of scarves to be printed and sold on my etsy! We have raised a good amount of money so far, but aim to continue in the coming months.

This process was covered by Grace Edwards (@grcdwrds) who joined us on our shoot day - she kindly wrote a piece on her website to share our story. Grace has been a friend for many years and this new professional relationship led to her helping me with the construction of this wonderful website we find ourselves on today - I will be eternally grateful.

By the end of the Summer, I was rather down, no luck on the job front despite many applications and the outlook for the fashion industry was bleak. I had been putting off getting back to the sewing machine for some time…but we will get to that in a minute.

I found a link through a friend to a job in costume, which is where I find myself now, settling into a new role in a new industry and I am pleased to say it is going well. While I am always going to want to be in fashion, perhaps the best place for me right now is in the stewardship of garments, learning to use them to tell stories and bring characters to life. The true test of durability and potential of clothes and their personality. I really believe, that this well rounded experience must be preparing me for a bigger, more comprehensive role one day and I am certain that each step in my career will inform the other, no matter how out of the ordinary for a fashion career.

Now, I hate to tease you any longer so - onto the design side of things. I had been tentatively brushing off my sewing machine from time to time and occasionally drawing ideas, occasionally making a plan of action.

It wasn’t until September that I felt ready to make, I knew what I wanted to do. I have realised that aside from seasonal practicality, I do not care for the fashion calendar. As far as I am concerned, the way forward is to neglect the fashion calendar. I love a presentation, some shows are exciting and interesting (most are not) but the SS AW formal calendar is forced upon the fashion community by department stores and journalists - it’s an admin issue that creates undue pressure and excess creation for the sake of press and sales, I understand that this is time efficient and convenient, but it doesn't’t suit the instinctive flow of creativity nor is it economical. My collection starts now, and will end when I kick the bucket.

Of course any work I generate will be catalogued, organised and recorded like artwork, simply to keep track. I aim to make work that will withstand season after season and subvert fashion industry timings, because they will be focussed on character, charisma and personality so inspired by those around me, and relevant to their time of creation. I hope their longevity coming from their spirit.

I made my first new dress in September, a tie back dress with a flat front bodice and a full skirt, supported by hip pads. I will go further into the inspiration behind my upcoming creations in another post soon. What I will say is I have been so inspired by the last year, it’s strange energy, the desperation we felt, the quiet we experienced, a return to simplicity, home comforts and crafts, the need for escapism and self expression when nothing makes sense or goes to plan.

I have been spurred on by the support of family and friends this past few months, the bursts of sunlight through a cloudy year, the few times we were able to swim in the sea, sit in the garden, take stock, be grateful, have a drink and laugh together and appreciate what it is to be truly together - making the best of what we had - I hope this will continue to inform my career, one that has great integrity and its roots in friendship, community, inclusivity and organic creativity.

As I say, if you have enjoyed this little self indulged run down, there is more to come! Far more interesting I assure you, covering technique, process and creation - so do keep in touch!

Thank you for reading and listening,

Jack x