the shepherdess fall 2025

4 panels of tapered knitted fabric 24”
wool pile, mohair ground
shaping, pile, hand-seamed
on a double-bed SILVER REED knitting machine

Shepherdess: The non-oppositional negotiation between fashion and function

Intense material exploration> final employment through wearable.

My idea for a modular cape stemmed from my deep love and sensitivity towards material versatility and strength. Using a “protein” fiber such as wool comes with heavy consideration, from animal well-being to ethical labor practices. As a lover of history and narrative, I framed my research through the lens of a fictional character: The Shepherdess. This historically romanticized figure grounded my understanding of my own relationship to land and making, as well as gender expression. I was sure to include the painstaking labor that goes into grooming the land, raising sheep, waiting, and more waiting, to shearing, carding, twisting, making, and refinement in my research.

My final knitted three-piece costume acts as an unofficial uniform. Consisting of a modular capelet/skirt/hood with drawstring ruffles, fingerless gloves, and a neck warmer, each piece is designed to accommodate a range of activities. I wanted to challenge the idea of textile uses by designing a multi-functional piece to accommodate all the physical needs of the shepherdess; utility and style. I designed an original double-knitted drawstring mechanism using contrasting wools to take advantage of the (knitting) machine’s capability and material continuity.

‘watermelon + seedy’ reticules fall 2025

woven fabric (selvedge) 8”" x 18"
wool, synthetic warp
stripe, block weave, wet/dry felted, dyed with madder
on 16”, 24 harness dobby loom

Faced with the structural constraints of the dobby loom's loose and narrow weaving width, I engineered a customizable draw-string reticule bag inspired by the V & A's rich and extensive collection of 18th century "pocket" bags. By mixing knitted and woven fabric I designed a simple cylindrical bag with an 8" x 18" swatch, shaping it through wet and dry felting as well as dying the fabric with madder root.

This dual weave-knit final, alongside my Shepherdess capelet, strengthens my narrative; gender, labor, and history.