I aim to create a collection that emphasises the beauty of pleats. I want this to celebrate pleats through a nonconformist style by using silhouettes, shapes, patterns and drapes. This will be for consumers whose personalities are shaped through art. My objective is to create movement by using bias cut fabric and pleating which allows the fabric to bounce when making the slightest movement. I want to make my own unique fabric by designing and printing my own patterns. I also want to create an illusion by printing strips and pleating at a forty-five-degree angle which will distort the lines. My main area of research is historical clown neck collars. I investigated how these pleats can be positioned around the body to create different illusions and silhouettes. I examined how neck collars were used to indicate a hierarchy. Originally neck collars were seen in royal fashion in Europe from the 15th and 16th century but earlier prototypes have been documented in ancient Egypt (Histrov, n d). The collars were used to distinguish the upper classes from the lower classes. Collars were worn by jesters and later the circus in the 18th century. 'Their clothing was designed to help them stand out and signal their role as someone who could mock nobles without facing punishment ‘(King, 2025). I was fascinated by how silly the clowns and jesters looked. I wanted to take this humorous concept and present it in a different light, combining it with the tradition of pleats to create a more controlled and elevated fabrication. So, took the concept of the neck collar and expanded it to cover the whole body, exaggerating the size and the arrangement of the pleats. I looked at different brands that have used similar themes for their collections for example the Chanel S/S 25 and 26 collections used ruffled collars, cuffs and accessories that look similar to my pompom accessories and bright colourful prints including stripes (Chanel, 2026). Also, the Loui Vuitton collections S/S and A/W 25 featured lots of ruffles, large pearls and beads and flamboyant fun silhouettes (Louis Vuitton, 2025). I wanted my collection to reflect a clown’s accessories through maximalism, to really exaggerate the pieces. For example, I like the way the feathered flower accessories in Chanel 26 s/s and want to have the same style as the pompoms I’ve created for my collection.