During the design development stage, I experimented with weaving fishing nets from various materials and tested these samples on a mini mannequin. I suspended fabrics of diverse textures with fishhooks to examine the natural drape generated by this hanging technique. I also positioned fishing baskets on different areas of the mannequin to analyse how the baskets’ circular forms interact with the human body.

To discover organic, effective ways of merging structural rigidity and fluid drape central to my theme, I carried out 3D experiments combining metal boning with lightweight, flowing stretch mesh. This process allowed me to investigate the natural relationship between soft drape and the body, informing the softer silhouettes within my collection. In parallel, I completed 3D structural distortion tests on fundamental blazer and trouser blocks using fishhooks, integrating the bib construction seen in fishwives’ gala dresses. This work concluded my exploration of rigid architectural elements for the collection.