A Study of Interiority

The Stamford Long Undyed, Mitchley Plaid, and Bamford Long

One of the lenses through which I view my work is psychological. For example, considering how a garment defines personal space, or how it determines our level of enclosure or exposure. A sculptural silhouette is of course an aesthetic choice, but collar height, body volume, and coat length also help us define how we reveal or conceal ourselves. 

In these final weeks of winter, as we physically shelter our bodies to power through gloomy or blustery days, we also often feel the need for emotional protection as well—for energetic buffering to help us face the world. For example, at the time I created the Mitchley, I had been traveling quite a bit. The hood grew out of a need to swaddle myself and create a private space, even when surrounded by people. Likewise, the signature high collar of the Stamford envelops the neck and face, shielding you from noise and creating a feeling of shelter. The Bamford, with its generous length and width, enables one to cocoon inside its volume, creating a greater distance between your body and the world. 

This also, however, creates a bit of a paradox, in that a bigger, more voluminous cut, while concealing, is also more dramatic and calls attention to the wearer: cultivating our own space separates us from others, yet also creates intrigue. The art is to find the equipoise: when I’m able to care for and gather myself, it allows me to reset and regroup. I’m then better suited to engage. I believe the more you give yourself the chance to restore, the more you can venture forth and radiate vibrantly.

In this liminal moment—as winter changes to spring, and as we emerge from a nesting into a blooming state—we can nurture both body and mind through the transition by sheltering our personal, sacred, space.