Trixie Belle spoke to Hatch'd about her final collection '12 Stories High' which was influenced by her time living in London.
HM: What inspired your collection?
TB: My time spent living in London, whilst on my placement year. I lived in the borough of Newham which is thought to be one of the poorest areas of london. I bumped into some of the youths whilst taking photographs of the area and they were asking where I was from and why I was taking photographs. A lot of people just see them as hood rats but as I began to get to know them I realised some of them had hidden talents for example musical, particularly in the genre of grime; a type of urban music that reflects real life encounters of these types of areas. I took hundreds of pictures of the people I met and created a print by merging them together My collection also takes inspiration from the textures and graffiti found in urban areas. I have always had a passion for knitwear and I wanted to use this as a contrasting feature to the hard urban environment. The collection is called '12 Stories High' which was inspired by the high rise tower blocks around the area which I lived.
HM: What has been the highlight of your studies?
TB: Definitely being able to take a year out, as this allowed me to gain inspiration for my collection. Before my year out I wasn't really certain what I wanted to base my collection on, but it all fell into place when I moved to London for a year. During my year out, I worked at John Lewis and learnt SO much. I think having industry experience really helped me with my collection.
HM: What are your plans after you graduate?
TB: Since I have a lot of experience within Graphics and Print design, I would like to work within this area. I also want to continue working on the brand I have created and see where it takes me!
Photography: Trixie Belle
Models: Sanchez Folkes, Sianne Dominique Tudge & Leren Connor