Elizabeth Parry

DESIGN CONCEPT

The collection is a juxtaposition between the virginal royal fiancée, prior to her wedding and the photographer Nan Goldin’s snapshots of real life. Goldin focuses on gritty life issues like AIDS, violence and sex. Both muses are opposing epitomes of eighties culture. The focal point of this collection will be sex positivity, especially in the sex work industry. My print expands upon the pre-collection, which has been bought into the final and depicts discarded lingerie cast aside during a sexual encounter. Expanding on this I will be exploring the use of slogans and words on garments in a political context as well as a more tongue-in-cheek approach to the sustainable use of re-purposed material. The conscious choice of 80s materials, such as Lycra, denim and taffeta has been selected and used in a modern manner to represent the depth of that era. The silhouettes of the collection have been developed from Lady Diana’s earlier style, prior to marriage, which was arguably non-sexual, almost frumpy clothing that left the possibility of sexuality purely to the imagination. It was an ironic look considering her elevation to a fashion icon following her divorce and exit from the royal family.

PROFILE STATEMENT

London/ Brighton-based designer, who has recently finished a Fashion BA (Hons) undergraduate degree at the University for the Creative Arts. Throughout my university experience, I found my design style gravitating towards projects which featured the oversized 80’s silhouette combined with my own photography print and used to communicate sex positivity. 

During my pre-collection, I was announced as a finalist for the DAZED X BFC competition Beyond Boarders. Here, I was able to take my garments to 180 Studio for an editorial shoot which was then featured in Dazed Digital. On the build-up to Graduate Fashion Week, my collection was chosen to be photographed for the foundation and my portfolio featured online. 

A significant inspiration came from the photographer Nan Goldin who was a huge influence in three final creative projects as well as an academic essays. To stay with the 80’s inspiration, I largely focused on Princess Diana, who was a point of creative interest due to the juxtaposition of her youthfulness, and her early style which felt very much older than her.

Current designers I gravitate towards include, the Berlin-based brand Namila for their sex-positive, in-your-face designs and slogans, as well as Vetements’ over oversized proportions which feel very modern. Finally, I admire Richard Quinn for the brand’s use of fabric print. All three of these design styles influence the style of my brand and creative processes. 

In the future, I hope to continue to develop my fabric print and push boundaries when it comes to the convention of sex, sex work and how this is communicated through fashion. I enjoy using my designs to start conversations as well as challenging people’s assumptions with a tongue-in-cheek twist.