Augusta Overy is an emerging designer who creates thought provoking collections. Read on to learn about her most recent inspiration and the innovative textile technique she’ll be using in her SS18 collection, “Pacific Disturbance.”
How did you get into fashion? Tell me a little about your background.
I happened upon fashion design my freshman year of college. I started as a chemistry major, but quickly learned that I wasn't cut out for it. During my second semester, I took a sewing class for fun and fell in love with it. I haven't ever looked back.
The “yarn collage” technique was used to form an ocean topography map around the hem
Describe your brand and the point of view you wish to convey.
I don't have a brand per say, but my most recent collections focus on affecting change in the world. Most of what I make are one-of-a-kind pieces meant to make the viewer think.
What are your personal goals or goals for your brand?
I would love to be able to create one-of-a-kind pieces full-time.
Initial full-color renderings of the collection
Describe your favorite project or projects that you have worked on.
My favorite project was a dress I recently created based on the Fibonacci sequence, a mathematical pattern. The dress was sewn in a spiral with darts placed all around it. I engineered a digital print that came together as one big picture once the dress was all sewn together. It truly is a work of art.
Where do you look for inspiration?
Like any designer, I look for inspiration in my own experiences and whatever speaks to my creative side. As a millennial, I often find inspiration in things that can make a difference in the world.
Describe some of the specific inspiration for your new collection.
For my collection "Pacific Disturbance," my inspiration comes from the need for more sustainable practices in our interactions with the ocean. The fabrics I use are directly tied to overfishing, pollution, and the death of the coral reef.
"Yarn collage" fabric stretched into a frame for quilting.
What kind of materials do you use and why?
The materials I’m using are mostly handmade. I have created 20+ yards of a “yarn collage” fabric in colors of ocean coral. This fabric, and the technique used to make it, were the main inspiration for my collection. Along with this fabric, I also hand-knit a few pieces that will make the models look as if they’re caught in a fishing net. Lastly, I created some wire pieces which are covered in sea glass to represent big business and the human element in the destruction of the fragile ocean ecosystem.
What kind of special processes do you use and what effect does it have on your work?
To create my "yarn collage" fabric, I used three separate layers which I free-motion quilted together. The three layers were a sheer tulle base, which was then covered haphazardly with multi-colored yarn, and then topped with a water-soluble stabilizer. The layers were sandwiched together and put into a large frame before being quilted together. After quilting, the fabric was submerged in water leaving the tulle and yarn as a fabric.
Bodice covered in wire and sea glass
Is this a new approach of you or is it consistent throughout your work?
This approach is fairly new for me and this is the first collection I have done using this technique. I am a very creative person and I love to try using new, innovative techniques in each collection I do.
To learn more about Augusta and her work check out her website and follow along on Facebook to watch her progress as Omaha Fashion Week approaches!