- Gather inspiration. In 2020, between lockdowns, my husband and I explored Victoria’s High Country. It is a special place to me because my Grandfathers lived in Myrtleford, and my dad has very fond memories spending time there with him at his farm on Whalley lane(named after him). We enjoyed taking our time to drive up, popping into opp shops, admiring antiques, and spending days hiking the different mountains around Hotham and Bulla. I spent time sketching wild flowers on the mountain, to translate into paintings later.
- I also used a similar process to paint the wild horse print and the antique porcelain print, sketching when out and painting up ideas with gouache in my studio. I am very proud of my artworks for this collection as they capture the feeling of the area, but are also very fresh, wearable and contemporary.
- Building a collection. Once I had my theme and a strong collection of artworks to use, I brought them into photoshop to clean up and translate into textile repeats. In this stage I play with scale and start to think about what kind of fabrication and shape might suit the print. At this time I am also editing my garment shapes and refining the silhouettes of the collection. I am very happy with the design repeats as I reworked them many times to make sure the repeat was perfect for the shape and there is enough variation in the design.
- The ideas are sampled and sewn up. Edits are made to adjust the fit, look and colour to make it just right. I love how the clothing collection looked - the prints suit the garments, are strong, bold and flattering. This collection is my best one yet.
- The collection is sent to Paris for Fashion Week!
Tara Whalley's collections are made in Melbourne with natural fibers, are available in sizes XS-10XLovely and feature Tara's hand-painted artwork.
In 2020 Australian designer Tara Whalley was invited to premier her fashion collection at New York Fashion Week, now in 2021 she stole the runway show again at Paris Fashion Week.
Tara Whalley established her self-titled fashion brand in 2015, after returning to Australia after a year of working with war-affected weavers.
This time in Guatemala that formed Tara's painting practice- translating experience into artwork for fabric print and a clear direction for the basis of her fashion signature style. Her collections are made in Melbourne with natural fibers, are available in sizes XS-10XLovely and feature Tara's hand-painted artwork.
Design Brief
For Paris Fashion Week I needed to create 8 looks, and create a range of amazing hand painted textile prints that told a story. I wanted to reflect on my adventures through Victoria’s High Country, and paint the native plants I saw on my hikes through the mountains, and translate them in a modern way.
I also wanted to create a fantastic horse print that captured the feeling of the free horses in the region. In the shapes of these looks, I wanted to take my garments further than I had in previous collections and add in more structure and more detail. I wanted to create some outfits that would help people emerge confidently from lockdown, with flattering cuts and looks to help you stand out in a crowd.
This project was developed by: