When questioning my own design identity and philosophy, I find myself drawn to the decadent and feminine detail of Edwardian and Victorian garments, particularly undergarments. I love looking at the construction of vintage undergarments, whether this be structural pieces such as bustles and the Mantua or softer lace pieces such as corset covers and petticoats. These garments are such an integral part of my design process due to both the soft cotton and lace fabrics and the construction and bold shape which they can create underneath outer garments, and I am constantly captivated by them when I am completing my research. This links back to my interest in portraying what it means to be ‘feminine’ and exploring how women have expressed themselves throughout history. Through my final collection, I aim to capture this feeling of fun and freedom through the colours, textures and shapes within my designs. I am drawn to stripes both from my historical garment research and also the more playful research which I completed into sweets, ice cream, cakes and deck chair fabric. I was inspired by vintage illustrations of cakes and sweets from the colour palettes and shapes in these drawings, and they have informed my design process. The childlike strands of research have been invaluable for my collection and have allowed me to push myself out of my comfort zone when using techniques, colours and patterns that I would not have considered previously. Within my collection, there is lots of pleating and gathering, which resonate with me aesthetically and the pleats specifically also add a technical element to my design. I have enjoyed using the ‘Princess’ and ‘Read’ pleating machines and creating a variety of different pleats myself, such as sunray, box and knife pleats. Using pleating to distort stripes within my fabric is something that I have enjoyed in my final collection, and I think that I will definitely continue to use this in my practice in the future.