Finding My Voice in Fashion

As I read Wear Next, something unexpected happened.

Clare Press speaks enthusiastically about many designers, artists, and thinkers working toward a more ethical future for fashion. At times I caught myself imagining what it would feel like if one of the names she mentioned belonged to me.

I pictured headlines:
“She started from nothing in London.”
“Her groundbreaking debut in the fashion industry.”

It felt like a kind of revenge — a way to reclaim years that felt lost to hardships, uncertainty, and difficult experiences.

At the same time, this feeling was accompanied by confusion. I realised that what I truly wanted was not recognition alone, but a voice — a way to share my past, my ideas, and my hopes for the future.

This dissertation became my first attempt to revisit my life experiences and understand how they shaped the path I am following today.

Through this process, I discovered a deep interest in environmental exploration and preservation. The urgency of ecological crises played a role, but so did something simpler: the joy that comes from feeling connected to the natural world.

In an era marked by growing awareness and a collective desire for meaningful change, passion matters. Genuine commitment cannot be manufactured or imposed; it must emerge from personal experience.

Over the years, I have often found myself questioning the relationship between fashion and textiles. They are frequently treated as the same field, yet they operate differently.

Textiles are the material foundation. Fashion is the cultural expression that emerges from them.

Fashion cannot exist without fabric. Yet fabric can exist without fashion.

This distinction has fascinated me for years. Both disciplines contain endless possibilities and involve multiple interpretations, interactions, and dimensions.

Understanding how these two worlds relate to each other — and where they diverge — continues to shape my research and practice today.