Next gen designers: Lucie Martyr

Cream of the crop.

The Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival is upon us, and once again the country’s best graduate designers are ready to put on a great show.

The National Graduate Showcase brings together the shining stars from Australia’s top tertiary institutions. Supported by Target and presented by Fashion Journal, you can catch the runway March 9 at the Royal Exhibition Building. Tickets are available here.

Ahead of the show, we thought you might like a closer look at 2018’s up-and-comers.

Meet Lucie Martyr from the University of Technology Sydney.

What inspired your collection?

This collection was inspired by flowers and the semiotics behind their biological makeup. The phenomenon of flowers has long been associated with women and their distracting beauty when in reality it is a true metaphor for all genders. A flower is only considered perfect if it is hermaphrodite and if it is not, it is deemed imperfect. Flowers are here to remind us of equality’s true meaning.

What materials did you work with?

I worked with a lot of tulle and organza. I used these materials to really experiment with volume. I also did a lot of printing onto heavily textured fabrics and played with felting of organza and cotton.

How has nature influenced your collection?

Nature is the whole basis for my collection. Every little detail has taken inspiration from the flower and ultimately created a bigger story. When worn, I hoped that people would see moving flowers and be reminded of the beauty and power nature brings.

Have you incorporated any sustainable methods into your designs?

One thing I really wanted to possess in my collection was timelessness.

I hoped to highlight the issues surrounding sustainability by breaking ‘trends’ and creating pieces that would go beyond the consumer life we have today. Whist most people with design professions are aware of these issues, I feel that consumers still have a long way to go.

What’s the hero piece?

I love my printed back-to-front blazer. For this piece, I experimented with screen and heat transfer printing. I flattened plants taken from my garden for weeks and exposed these to my screen so that I could really represent the true form of a flower.

I then layered illustrated black and white flowers over the top of this screen printing, creating a sense of delicate depth. I experimented with volume and symmetry and once it was paired with the exaggerated tulle skirt, the look really paid homage to the flower.

What do you want to achieve with your collection?

The ultimate goal for this collection was to celebrate gender through women. I wanted to do this through the semiotics of flowers and remind people of what is ‘perfect’ when all genders are combined.

How did you get into design?

From a very young age I knew I loved to create. I remember making the first-ever outfit I designed for a school dance when I was 10 years old. I felt so special, wearing something completely designed by me. My grandma helped me. She was a dress designer and I think that’s what really got me going. I was so inspired, and loved learning from her. Design became a very strong passion very early on in my life.

If you could design an outfit for anyone, who would it be?

Marie Antoinette. With a life as elaborate and theatrical as hers, I would love to create something that resonates with the romantic, historic femininity that she holds.

What’s next after VAMFF?

I definitely want to start working for another company. I’m very keen to learn more from a professional point of view and hopefully get to a place where I can start something of my own.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

Still working for somebody else, but beginning to prospect over the idea of my own thing. I get really excited about having my own label but I want to make sure I’m really ready before branching out.

luciimartyr.com
vamff.com.au