Sarah Wilson

07   /   09   /   2016

Re Fashion Exhibition was a collaboration of the Fashion Programmes at Northumbria University, students and staff, with the Discovery Museum of Newcastle Upon Tyne.

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The Project was recognised as having cultural, international and commercial research relevance and highlighted creative research-led teaching approaches (to students, staff and visitors). The ‘RE-Fashion’ exhibition evidenced real depth of visual and intellectual inquiry from both staff and students. A selection of the garments designed and made were shown on Alfred Brown's web site and evidenced the material prowess and student capability in using worsted wools to realise their exhibition pieces as part of their design curriculum.

Pteridomania was my personal contribution to the exhibition alongside my 3rd year cohort of students from Fashion Design and Marketing BA (Hons). 

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Pteridomania 

This scarf print on Silk Crepe de Chine has been inspired by the Victorians use of Fern Motifs in their decorative arts. The use of Fern motifs appeared on pottery, woodcarving, glass, and textiles with embroidery. I was particularly inspired by the tan and chestnut shoes with fern applique from the Discovery museum’s Archive.

Author Charles Kingsley first used the name Pteridomania as a description for Fern Fever or Fern Mania, very similar to the popular crazes in culture that exist today.

In the 1800s the improvement of transport and roads led to the Victorian population venturing further afield to the Northern and Scottish areas of Britain where ferns where more abundant. It became the craze to find the most rare and beautiful ferns to add to any fashionable person's collection. They were either kept alive and cultivated in a glass terrarium or pressed in a book to study at a later time. Men, women and children were all embroiled in the search for the latest and best Fern samples.

Fern Print Silk Crepe de Chine Scarf

A hand drawn fern in pencil, pen and ink and graphite then abstracted and manipulated in Photoshop and Illustrator.