Sophelia Hook

“A striking deep pink, even crimson in some lighting. Resene Very Berry is sophisticated and captivating, a shade that commands presence and refused to fall off trend.

My ensemble aspires to enhance the vibrant colour and drape of my silk, reflecting the effortless beauty of our natural surroundings. I like the idea of giving elements within nature a second life and wanted to incorporate this in my design. Exploring this idea in correlation to my rich, exuberant colour, I came across two traditions I found fascinating.

My first finding was the resemblance between my shade and Phoenician Red, a vibrant dye extracted from hundreds of thousands of Murex Sea Snails in the Bronze Age. Scarce and resistant to fading, it was the most desirable dye and was exclusive to royalty.

Learning the significance and wealth of this colour, I wanted to honour it with an elegant, feminine silhouette. I utilised the natural drape of my silk to showcase the way this colour appears different from many perspectives.

Phoenicians discovering that a colour so striking could be derived just from a snail is inspiring as it demonstrates how nature will always have more to give and we have the ability to renew the life of it.

Knowing that I wanted to share a piece of my own culture through my design, I thought back to my solo trip to Japan and was reminded of the Ikebana classes I was fortunate to attend. I learnt that it is an intricate art that takes year of practice, challenging oneself to create a masterpiece from minimal resources.

Ikebana is one of three Japanese Arts of Refinement. It is an art of ‘giving life to flowers; where blossoms, foliage and branches find new life as an artistic composition. It takes more than working with the finest materials but having the ability to place a single flower in a way that transforms it into something just as powerful as an elaborate arrangement.

‘Renewal’ is my interpretation of the single flower arrangement. I experimented with the positioning of a flounce and found it to be most effective when placed in the centre of the ensemble accentuating the hip.”

Resene Whitecliffe Colour of Fashion clothing - 2022

Photography by Jonathan Kraettli

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