Fashion Design

Grace Costello

SERPENTINE DEVOTION A/W2

My oollaclion ‘SEPENTINE DEVOTION’, AW’}f}, oomp08ing of two womenswaar looks and one menswear look, is Inspired by Japanese folklore. A young girl, Kiyohime falls in love with a Buddhist monk named Anchin.

After her interest in the monk is rejected, heartbroken and consumed by grief, Kiyohime purs1MS him relentleuly, transrorming into a serpent in rage, moments before killing him in a bell, where he had hidden in the DOjO-ji temple. I wanted to translate this beautiful imagery to cloth through Oriental-style silhouettas, laser-eut snake-printed cloth and darkromantic aesthetics. I drafted my patterns to expre&11an intersection of tradition and modemfy, to create detail-oriented garments that represent beauty in darkne•. From my design work I created flat patterns for my heavy-weight fabrics. For my light sheers I used the mannequin form to drape silhouettes. I wanted to capture the

ethereal •-nee of the Japanese folktale, Kiyohima, wHhIha tactile luxury of the velvet and the soft oomfort of cotton. Each garment embodies the transformationof Kiyohime, from delicate maiden to wrathful serpent, through intricate valvat embellishment and flowing cotton and silk silhoettes. I incorporated hook and eyes in look 1. While snaking throughthe garment they demonstrate how easily life can pull apart and equally where the will exists how it cancome together again. Eachpiece embrace Iha duality of beauty and danger with rich huH, sharp tailoring, in harmony with fluid lines while capturing the esaence of this timeless tale in every stitch. I wanted to create a black collection creating depth through itscontrasting shades whichresulted from using different textiles. My aim was to explore how the depth o f emotion of thistale could be portrayed using only three fabrics incorporating printing and laser technologies.

I laser cut velvet Japaneaelv:erleaves for my final womenawear look.The snake andthe Japaneae maple leaf&hare a profound connection steeped in symbolism and cultural significance. In Japanese culture, the -ke is often revered as a symbol of transformation,wiedom, andprotection. Similarly, the Japen88e maple leaf holds deep cultural importance, representing beauty, grace, and the transient nature of life. Together, these symbols intertwine, embodying a harmonioua balance betweenthe cyclical rature af existence and the trar-.formative journey of personal growth. Just as the snake sheds Na akin to embrace renewal, the Japan- maple leaf gracefully transitions through sauons,each phaH a testament to the inherent beauty found in change. Their connection reflecl8 the delicatedance between &trenglh and vulnerability, reminding u& to embrace tran&fcrmationa& an e&&ential part of our journey.

PREV | NEXT | ALL