The Bite Magazine - Spring/Summer 2023 - Issue 33

bitefashion Lily Willan LILY WILLAN Lily Willan based her ‘Now Then…’ col- lection on her West Yorkshire roots in which she explored assumptions around traditional northern masculinity. When designing this collection, events such as family trips to Bradford's Valley Road football ground and family photos taken at the pub watching Euro 2020 came to mind. She used Yorkshire’s proud textile heritage by incorporating its tailoring fabrics sourced from local mills. The col- lection was playful with splicing dogtooth wool married with ripstop nylon, ton- al embroidery and piping details. At the same time, pinstripes were reinvented as topstitched mohair on selvedge denim. “My collection celebrates everything I love about the quirks of North and West York- shire and the men that have influenced me and my attitude to life.” STEPH BIRTLES A stunning fusion of nostalgia and origa- mi was combined in Steph Birtles’ striking and complex collection ‘Origami Blue’, where vintage paper Christmas decora- tions were referenced in exciting pieces of blue denim. Like ripped, shredded and discoloured paper, the denim is distressed, frayed and bleached to form mesmerising gradients, from dark indigo to bleached white. The intricate, handcrafted textiles inspired by the art of paper folding are cleverly structured and wrapped around the body in innovative silhouettes. Light- ness and strength in the nylon ripstop fab- ric resembled fine paper and contrasted with weighty and robust denim pieces. At the same time, digital prints reference the precise geometry of origami while empha- sising its fragility. I loved the 16th-century ruff around the neck and the layering in the pieces. GRACE KWON Through the loss of a loved one, Grace Kwon’s ‘Godspeed’ collection transforms into a celebration of life and good wishes for future journeys. She combines myr- iad influences with her transcultural of Korean, Malaysian and Chinese with in- spirations derived from the burning of joss paper at Chinese Buddhist funerals, billowing Victorian mourning dresses and hanboks, traditional Korean mourning clothes. All these integrate the opposing vibrancy and strict monochrome of the three cultures’ death rituals. Within the collection, you will find regal tones of rich burgundy, bronze, black, copper and soft gold layered and gathered to form dra- matic pieces in homage to those who have passed and ultimately rejoice in the prom- ise of life to be lived to the full. Steph Birtles Grace Kwon