The fashion industry is no stranger to a 'rising star', 'one to watch' or ingenue - it is after all in its nature to be built on trends, the never-ending promise of novelty, exclusivity and potential. The designer Molly Goddard – who you may well have read about before on the Selvedge blog – is arguably one such designer who has been being touted as the next big thing for a handful of collections now.
Whilst Molly's work may well appeal to an elite, high fashion world, the designer has revealed herself to be in touch with the preservation of traditional craft and – the not so traditionally glamorous – notion of working with the public, or even community.
“I would like to invite groups of skilled sewing folk from various organisations to come and do demonstrations. Groups from local schools will be invited to take part and everyone will be encouraged to engaged with handicraft. I like the idea that children will return to complete an image. People may sew over or work with others’ embroideries to create intricate bold and incredibly varied embroidered dresses, so they become like a living thing changing daily.” - Molly Goddard
Molly's current, interactive exhibition, 'What I like' at NOW Gallery, invites visitors to embroider directly onto her trademark tulle dresses, which are suspended from the ceiling. Each dress is on a pulley and can be raised or lowered to a height at which visitors can sit and embroider directly onto the dresses.
On the gallery wall posters with graphic instructions of embroidery stitches for all abilities, will be available to follow and interpret. "Sew what you like".
After the show has finished, the dresses will be auctioned for charity. Does this exhibition herald a new approach to fashion world elitism?
4 Nov 2016 – 19 Feb 2017
What I like www.nowgallery.co.uk The Gateway Pavilions Peninsula Square Greenwich Peninsula London SE10 0SQ photographer Charles Emerson