GRACE HUGHSON

Massey University koha project in collaboration with Te Papa's Costume Department.

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For this second-year fashion design studio project, the brief challenged us to reinterpret an historical garment from the archives of Te Papa Tongarewa's fashion department. The dress that I selected was a green day dress from 1855 which had two interchangeable bodices.

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While the dominant colours of my historic inspiration were the green and fawn panels, I choose to subvert this by making black the focus of my interpretation; which is very true to what Wellington fashion has since become. The relationship between the black and green of the two garments also relates to how time has changed the garment's environments and this became an important aspect in developing my designs.

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