Sara Phillips was inspired by crystals for her Spring 2012 'Unearthed' collection, particularly The Crystal Cave of Giants hidden in the Naica mine of Mexico. Textures, colours and prints reference natural minerals, and whimsical and geometric forms make for a collection that is sharp and clean like a jagged piece of quartz. Prints were adapted from crystal specimens sourced from the Australian Museum archive, and the collection combines feminine tailoring with bursts of lime green and fuchsia that mimic the kaleidoscope of colour seen in the flaws of a cut crystal.
We asked Sara about the inspiration for the collection and if she ever dreamt of being a geologist.
Lucy Jones: Can you tell us a little bit about the inspiration for 'Unearthed'?
Sara Phillips: After looking at the world from above for AW12, we wanted to explore what lay underneath the earth. What we found were beautiful crystalline formations in bright pigmented hues.
Talk us through the steps involved in the process of developing the prints for a collection...
The brand is 80% print-based and as such it is a long developmental process creating the prints. We are always evolving print ideas, so it never really stops for us. The most intricate part for us is the drawing of the prints. All of our elements are hand drawn and any single print may take over 90 hours to create.
Is the collection a hint of a secret childhood dream to become a geologist?
I did collect agate pieces when I was younger however from childhood I always dreamt of becoming a fashion designer.
Take an exclusive look at the behind-the-scenes video from the collection shoot here:
Lucy Jones