Finn Barker-Flower

I am Finn Barker-Flower and over the past year, I have studied fashion design on the Foundation Diploma at UCA Canterbury. These images are examples of the final piece that I am most proud of, as a result of my Final Major Project: ‘Wears Wes: Turn it Up, Make it Loud’.

I find motivation in pushing the boundaries of ‘wearable’ fashion collections and tackling tricky, over-the-top designs. I aspire to develop my designing skills and retain my oversized, exaggerated style, bringing new ideas to the table and blurring the line between fashion pieces and wearable art. I would like to host exhibitions that showcase unbelievable garments that are used as inspirations for fashion collections.

The work in this showcase shows my final garment inspired by the film: ‘The Royal Tenenbaums’, directed by Wes Anderson. Throughout the project I have extracted colours, themes and shapes from the film to create inspiration for my designs whilst describing the narrative through a series of juxtaposing colour palettes and reoccurring design features. ‘The Hand Dress’, shown in these photos is a statement on the unusual relationship between two of the films main characters: Margot and Richie. The dress is inspired by the storyline of Richie, which is heavily influenced by Margot, the hands connect the two characters as well as pushing them away. The abnormal silhouette and extra-large sleeveless hands create a monstrous silhouette, especially when moving, this comments on the opinions that many may have between the two characters. From a different perspective, this same silhouette can be beautiful and elegant, depicting the love and innocence in the characters’ motivations. 

I want my work to excite but also to provoke, only growing bigger as I tackle future projects.