SS15: The Swimmers

Dina Khalife’s line of clothing and accessories speak to individuals who are looking for a different kind of sex appeal. That certain confidence that women usually associate with plunging necklines and side cut-outs, are interpreted into colourful hand drawn textiles. It could be quite unforgiving, but her prints seem to flatter different body types, which some designers might be reclusive of.

The great thing about The Swimmers collection is that it's not entirely all dresses. To introduce separates makes it more versatile and less retro.

Maria Aparicio Puentes

Using black and white photography as a backdrop for geometrical shapes with colourful threads, Maria Aparicio Puentes makes embroidery edgy and cool. Taking inspiration from the architecture that she studied and was surrounded by, she brings to her compositions a true awareness and sensitivity of space, hence the theme running throughout her work: people and their relationships to their environments.  Threads superimposed onto photographs are like our own memories we superimpose onto reality itself. The strangest thing to inspire a piece of work for Puentes: “The strangest thing... ruining a big job, after weeks of work, by knocking a bottle of water on it. It was a strange feeling, of loss and of infinite sadness.”

Oyyo Design Studio

Hailing originally from Stockholm, Sweden, this design studio, although rooted in it’s Swedishness, is a celebration of nomadic travel, adventure and the convergence of cultures. Their designs capture simplicity combined with a passion for prints and patterns and are a demonstration of a craftsmanship within a global modernity. Oyyo is working with local communities around the world to create quality bold, enigmatic products such as the recently launched No.1 Cotton Dhurrie collection hand-woven by a community of craftspeople near India’s Blue City, Jodhpur made with machine-free techniques dating back centuries and vivid vegetable dyes derived from local plants. Drawing from a rich variety of inspiration from the Nordic textile arts and crafts heritage to the Bauhaus movement to Surrealist artist, Salvador Dali, the studio will release one or two products per year, working up a core collection of textiles, furniture and accessories.