Fashion
Fashion projects exploring adaptability, cultural appreciation and which reshape identities in changing times.
Romantic Office Dandy: Designing for Busy Women
During the late 2000s and early 2010s, increasing workplace flexibility, changing social habits, and growing awareness of sustainable consumption began to challenge the idea that different contexts required entirely separate wardrobes.
At the same time, many women were navigating multiple social roles throughout the day, moving directly between professional environments and personal activities without the time or desire for complete outfit changes.
This project explored how clothing could support transitions between different social contexts while reducing the need for excessive consumption.
Rather than designing separate garments for work and leisure, the collection investigated how flexibility could be embedded directly into the design of garments and accessories.
Developed during my participation in a fashion incubator programme in Borås, Sweden, the collection explored how multifunctional design could support fluid transitions between professional and social environments.
Drawing inspiration from the structured tailoring and earthy colour palette of 1980s women's office wear, I introduced elements of vintage romanticism to soften and reinterpret traditional professional aesthetics.
The resulting collection included:
Tailored wool trousers designed to be worn either high-waisted or with the waistband folded down
A double-face vest that could be worn open or closed using a removable rose brooch
A shoulder bag with a detachable strap, allowing it to transform into a hand pouch
Matching accessories created from fabric offcuts to minimise material waste
The idea won a finalist spot at the Show Up Award in 2011.
The rise of global manufacturing has made fashion and accessories increasingly accessible, but often at the cost of local specificity and material storytelling. As products become standardised and mass-produced, opportunities to express personal narratives, cultural curiosity, and a sense of place through everyday objects can become diminished.
At the same time, increased global mobility and exposure to different cultures have encouraged consumers to seek products that carry a stronger sense of authenticity, craftsmanship, and connection to the wider world.
This tension between global standardisation and cultural specificity formed the starting point for Nu-Nomad.
The project explored how everyday accessories could become carriers of cultural narratives, connecting distant places, textile traditions, and personal experiences through material design.
Founded in 2010, Nu-Nomad was developed as a small-scale design business producing limited collections of handmade bags using textiles sourced during travels. Bags were sold in design fairs, cultural events, in some local design shops in Rome (Italy) and in an online Etsy shop.
Collections were typically organised around cultural and geographical narratives, including:
On The Silk Road
A collection inspired by historical trade routes and the movement of materials, ideas, and aesthetics across Western Asia, India, and Japan.
Letters From A Traveller
A collection drawing inspiration from traditional messenger bags and the idea of correspondence between distant places, translating themes of travel, memory, and connection into contemporary accessories.
Across collections, the design approach sought to balance cultural storytelling with practical functionality, ensuring that products remained relevant to contemporary lifestyles while retaining a strong narrative identity.
Nu-Nomad: Exploring Cultural Exchange Through Material Objects
