ReCollection
Senior Thesis 2020/2021
ReCollection, explores the intricate ways that families create emotional and spiritual attachments to their homes. Within each different room of a home, memories are layered on top of one another throughout the years, creating an architecture of memory within a space that might look unchanging to a stranger. Each garment in this collection both structurally and visually resembles a house that I have spent a significant portion of my life in, illustrating the concepts of memories attached to place and the fact that life changes quickly around stable structures of homes. This collection is meant to exhibit an intensional personal growth focus as a designer and individual, as I explore the concepts of memories and time interacting with emotional home. I chose to focus on this thesis topic because my grandparents’ home has been very important to my family throughout my life, emotionally and spiritually, including after their passing. Their address number was 143, which signifies each letter in “I love you,” and every time I see this number I think of the spirits of my grandparents connecting to life in the present world. The first garment I designed focused on their cozy faded blue house, which was filled with beautiful memories. I then expanded on this theme to create garments that resemble homes that have held emotional and spiritual significance throughout my life, creating a collection that explores the ways that memories and time interact with emotional home.
143 Holyoke Road
My Grandparent's house at 143 Holyoke Road was the original inspiration for my senior thesis. I see these number combinations everywhere. 143=I love you. This location will always be in vivid detail. Memories have stuck even though I have grown up, the house is now sold, and my grandparents have passed. This house and everything that it means to me will always remain. The structural and color inspiration for this ensemble was taken from this house.
460 Sheehan Green
My house growing up. I moved to this house when I was only two years old. I lived there for 18 years. My entire childhood was spent there. I decided I wanted to attend art school in that house and learned how to ride a bike in the basement. This will always be considered home until I make one of my own. The structural and color inspiration for this ensemble was taken from this house.
66 Pilgram Road
This house belongs to my grandparents on my mother's side. This is a home to family holidays and socially distant outside gatherings. I have always been supported and applauded for my artistic abilities in this environment. This house has always been a safe space. I drew structural and color inspiration from this house.
149 Hickory Place
This is the house of my first love and love once again. The years spent here when I was younger were extremely transformative. I grew into my individuality. I learned how to love and to be loved. The memories will never fade. I drew structural and color inspiration from this house.
125 Molly Henry Road
This house will always be a sanctuary. This is the lake house in my family that pushed my parents to move to Vermont. I have never felt relaxation like this camp environment holds anywhere else. I learned how to swim and paint rocks as a child at this house. I learned to appreciate nature. I drew structural and color inspiration from this house.
