Inspirations: clothes

Everyone is inspired by something, or things- things that spark off interest, ideas, passion and stick with us throughout our lifetimes. I have always loved making things, from gluing junk together as a child to starting Mouse and Me as an adult, but as the years have gone by different things have stuck with me that have brought me to the way I tick now. 

As a dressmaker, I couldn't pretend not to be inspired by clothes. My mother was always a keen follower of fashion and reader of Vogue and similar magazines; when I was a teenager the markets near us had a magazine stall where it sold slightly out of date fashion magazines and journals and often had unusual imports too. I gobbled them up and read them cover to cover; not because I particularly cared about the latest catwalk trends (thanks to Mr Market I'd always be one step behind anyway) and far less because I was drawn to designer clothes but because I loved specifically the design and layout and the way each copy was almost an art form in itself. I studied GCSE Textiles and our teacher was a passionate, if slightly mad, woman who had previously worked within the industry. Her ex-colleague and close friend came to work as her TA and was really quite out of touch with reality (she once professed to have no idea how much a pint of milk might cost, because someone always bought it from Harrods) but the pair of them were fascinating and taught us about mood boards, trends and how they filtered down from the runway to influence not just high street fashion but so many aspects of design. 

I discovered vintage clothing for myself and had the fortune of having parents who liked day trips to places such as Brighton where I could rummage through emporiums through the North Laines. I went to art college for my foundation year and then moved to Newcastle upon Tyne for university studying fine art. I had mixed feelings about my degree-I learnt a lot over the 4 years but very little of that was actually specifically taught. The experience of just growing up and to adopt a hippy expression, beginning to "find yourself" was as informative as the sparse tutorials. I have always been drawn to the primary colours and bright graphics that makes up design for children, and so when Mouse came along, immersing myself in all things for children was not entirely unwelcome at all!

I love the book 'My Mother's Wedding Dress' by Justine Picardie; about the powerful memories of clothes. She picks her own desert island discs of her wardrobe, past and present, and through words and reminiscing tells the story behind each piece. It is this "specialness" we often attach to some clothes that inspires me. A mix of both design and the memories that will go on to be created. The idea that some things may be favourites from the word go and worn until they are in threads and that others may drift by, in and out of the washing pile, and yet something about them will stay with the wearer. Others are marked out by a monumental occasion: I have two very average items in my wardrobe that I wear infrequently yet mean a lot. One is plain black jersey sundress I wore the night my daughter was conceived and the other a light cotton peach top I was still wearing from work when my daughter was then born prematurely, 12 weeks early. I have clothes kept from my childhood, some which my daughter will wear and some are either too outdated or precious, and I in turn have started a collection of things that she herself has outgrown that I cannot part with.
 

If there was just one item I could save forever, it would be wholly impractical for me now really. It is a child's coat from my own childhood, made by my mother from a kit by Clothkits. There is some dispute as to if the coat was originally mine or my sister's, but it holds a special place in both our hearts and was worn and worn until it was entirely inappropriate for the seasons and the unrelenting growth children participate in! It was a blue cotton jacket with red detailing and a fine graphic print of an animal scene. In each pocket, was a small animal on a string which just seemed enchanting beyond belief. It may be that the late 80s, early 90s were a far simpler place but I know from presenting the jacket now in 2014 to my own 3 year old Mouse, that the magic is still there. I cannot decide what specifically it is that makes it such a wonderful item-I myself have to rely on photograph albums for any memories of wearing it. The animals on strings are certainly a brilliant feature and the durability puts many of today's high street bargains to shame. It is hard to know exactly what makes it so dear; the shared memories of how excited it made my family and now will make my daughter and any future family? Would it be outshone by a wedding dress or party dresses that we do not yet own? Time will tell, but I think not. It will be fought over, I know that, as to who is the final keeper. And that for me, is I suppose what makes it so special.

Do you have a favourite item, or items?