Ella Booth

“To come up with my design I dove deep into my emotions and depression of what was lockdown. The deepness and darkness of the ocean is what I was feeling going into the lockdown. I was in Rarotonga at the time so I was scared of what was happening back home but also trying to enjoy the last of my holiday, so the ocean is also representing Rarotonga.

The dark sky not only represents coming back to reality which was a scared country in lockdown but also rising above the darkness of what Covid brought to me mentally. I fell into a depression over lockdown for many reasons and it was a horrible time. In this garment, I wanted to show how not only have I come out from that depression but have grown from it as well.

The multiple ties on the blouse are representing being held back and tied down, which is New Zealand’s lockdown, the pintucks represent feeling trapped which is how I felt being trapped in quarantine in a hotel for two weeks. The ruffled shoulders are representing flying out of the darkness into this new cautious world. The long flared pants represent the mental growth I have done throughout this period of time.

I wanted this look to stand out. Having the name Decadence I couldn’t make a plain jane design, this needed to be a piece that spoke 1000 words, that had emotion wrapped all up in it but could still be looked at is a divine piece. I want it to be looked at to remember a time when so many of us were tied down but slowly made our way out of the darkness.”

Resene Whitecliffe Colour of Fashion clothing - 2020

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