The MENDED Collection

As a young creative attending adult art class, my only aspiration was to open an upcycling clothing store. During middle school, I started to excel in sports and lost sight of my dream. As a result, I was eventually recruited to play volleyball at Roanoke College. Depressed and disoriented, I decided to transfer to HPU to pursue graphic design and studio art. I was finally able to truly refocus my passion and grow as an artist. Despite sifting through adversity while learning to navigate the growing pains of college, creativity keeps me grounded and I owe more than I realized to this program. Within the shelter of the HPU art studios, I endlessly work on projects or write to drown the world out. “Mended” is a culmination of everything that has brought me to this point. I am utilizing articles of clothing to form my own patterns and create a series of garments that are assembled using the processes of Sewing, Crochet, Design, and Writing. Much like my life has been ripped apart at the seams, I am stitching together fragments into complete pieces. I am applying versions of designs I have created throughout my time at HPU combined with verses from journal entries that are important in my progression as an artist. Each clothing piece is a canvas documenting my development as an artist and growth throughout college. Each piece highlights aspects of my life to not only narrate my story but resonate with others.