Knitwear Owen West
Photo by Evin Holley
The first chapter of “GirLand,” Elegy of Use, reflects on the fragile space between girlhood and memory. Rooted in recollections of Green Hill Beach, the collection explores how objects can carry emotion, time, and personal history long after moments have passed.
Rusted fragments, driftwood, tangled netting, feathers, and worn leather are transformed into layered silhouettes that preserve texture, movement, and lived experience. Through distressed surfaces and hand-built construction, the work considers beauty not as perfection, but as evidence of use, wear, and survival.
The collection asks: When did girlhood end?
When did we stop running so fast, laughing so hard, and eating so much?
A palette of beige, navy, pink, white, and green is interrupted by flashes of teal, yellow, and red, reflecting the emotional intensity, spontaneity, and unpredictability of youth.
SS01-THE ELEGY OF USE
Explores tension and release through knotted, interlaced forms inspired by fishing nets washed ashore
01 TANGLED NETTING
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.
Encases overlooked seagull feathers in clear resin, suspending a quiet message within the shoe itself.
04 MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE
