Rachel De Souza

The ‘US’ collection is defined by "unity without uniformity and diversity without division" (Jim,2019) focusing on unity being a mere tolerance of physical, cultural, linguistic, social, religious, political and psychological differences; into a complex unity based on the understanding that differences enrich human interactions. As the world becomes more interconnected, it’s evident that we need to work together. As a young girl, I never felt any indifference to anyone who looked different to me; however, as I got older, I realised my differences immediately disconnected me from other ethnic and religious groups. I believe it is essential that we acknowledge and embrace our differences rather than discriminating, against others which we know creates division in our society. This collection embraces how unity in our society can be translated and celebrated through clothing. I have combined two cultures that use similar textile techniques, known as Shibori; the Japanese word to manipulate fabrics before dying. This technique is not unique to Japan but is used worldwide; West Africa adopted this technique, in Nigeria, Shibori is known as Adire, a technique passed through generations. The collection silhouettes reflect the traditional Japanese kimono and the structural composition of the kamishimo, the Japanese samurai.