The Elegy of Use
Knitwear by Owen West
Photography by Evin Holley
Created Fall of 2025
A collection rooted in youth.
A time of running barefoot, laughing freely, and finding beauty in what others overlook. Using materials gathered from my childhood home at Green Hill Beach, rusted fragments, driftwood, tangled netting, feathers, and worn leather become symbols of memory and resilience. These elements are transformed into layered silhouettes that hold time, texture, and lived experience.
When did we stop running so fast, laughing so hard, eating so much? When did girlhood end?
A palette of beige, navy, pink, white, and green is disrupted by flashes of teal, yellow, and red, reflecting the playfulness, unpredictability, and emotional immediacy of girlhood.
01 Tangled Netting
Explores tension and release through knotted, interlaced forms inspired by fishing nets washed ashore
02 Rock Forms
Reflects childhood stone-stacking games, balancing fragile stability with tightly wrapped leather and rusted metal details.
03 Time left in ink
Preserves memory through transferred newspaper imagery, holding time in an unfiltered, physical form.
04 Message in a bottle
Encases overlooked seagull feathers in clear resin, suspending a quiet message within the shoe itself.
