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‘The collection is an exercise of the unconscious; the tale of a nomadic warrior falling asleep on horseback into a psychedelic dream,’ explained womenswear designer Tom Kindon about his graduate collection.

The recent Nina Stewart Award scholar formed a language for design aesthetic through combining research into the Huns (4th century barbarians), with studying graphics of the psychedelic movement. Notions of fluidity, graphic colour, and negative space are juxtaposed with rage and ferocity of the Huns. Silhouettes are slashed and elongated, referencing painful rituals that distort Hunnic profiles into a wild and threatening image. Streamlined cuts dominate the collection, drawing upon their extreme archery skills and archival editorials from the psychedelic era. Physically, the horse is intrinsic to their lifestyles. They eat, battle and sleep on this vehicle. Channelling kinetics of this animal, volumes are reflective of a kicking and galloping motion. Speed and momentum are explored through blended motifs dyed into faux furs and fringing layers, echoing an acidic perspective on Mongolian/Kazakh landscapes. Colour mirrors these landscapes and the surrealist paintings of Judit Reigl.

The designer thrived off teamwork and can envision himself working at a label in the future to develop his knowledge and hone his aesthetic.

Raegan Rubin, BA Fashion Journalism