Alice Slade

Jean, Archie and George,
with love from Bombay,

This collection is inspired a collection of Victorian photos of my family living in India in the late 1800s/early 1900s, which I discovered when looking into my family history. In this body of work I aimed to weave stories and meaning into my clothes to create connections and attachments between the wearer and the garments, while designing classic, elegant womenswear with exquisite fabrics and construction details. I also drew inspiration from a selection of objects from India passed down in my family, therefore pockets became particularly important in my designs as a way to keep cherished objects and memories close in everyday life.

The collection focuses on the experiences of the children depicted in the photos growing up in an English family in India, particularly how this might give them a sense of dual identity and what memories and possessions they might have carried with them to keep that connection as they moved into adulthood. My work is always focused around people and their individual stories, creating a real sense of place and exploring narrative, relationships and memories.