When inspiration comes, it comes. There’s no ignoring it. At first it bristles, almost sparking and flitting at the edges of the mind. And then it ignites. Like a firestorm, it engulfs whatever is in its path, every image and association and idea fuel for the thought. And the result? Well, it isn’t a blackened landscape but rather the moment before, that instance of surge and flame, the imposing towering inferno that is revelation.
For Perth born emerging fashion designer Garth Cook, inspiration for his latest collection of work came from the most unlikely source, but the result is sure to set the stage alight in a flurry of fashion flames, ones burning with sexuality and the bizarre. Cook’s new collection – which will debut at StyleAID this July – takes its cue from the heavily saturated images of Hieronymus Bosch, a 14th Century painter whose canvases are filled with images of daemons, sinners, redemption and outright otherworldliness.
‘The work of Bosch is bizarre and perverse,’ confided Cook on email from London, his home base for the last three years. ‘The depth of the painting is just amazing. There is so much going on your eyes do not know what to look at first or how to interpret what it is you’re actually seeing.
‘I wanted to work with the depth, perverse and bizarre nature of the paintings but still produce a collection of womenswear that is wearable. There are some pieces that are showpieces only and not for production, but these pieces are pivotal when it comes to developing a collection of ready to wear garments.’
Cook has described his clothes as making the wearer feel ‘amazing, fashion forward (and) strong’. His background included working as a fine jeweller, a trade he said that assisted him in constructing garments that are ‘functional and looks effortless’ yet retain ‘an attention to detail’.
Cook graduated from the WA School of Art & Design in 2006, and since than has been living and working in London, where he has worked with designers such as Marios Schwab and Husam el Odeh, has assisted at London Fashion Week, all the while furthering his studies at the London College of Fashion.
His new collection will prove, undoubtedly, a sight to behold. With an eye for detail, Cook’s interpretation of Bosch’s painting sees the young designer combine sheer silk organza, chiffon and georgette, silk satin backed duponii, along with black patent leather. These are then all rendered in colours lifted directly from the paintings, such as nudes, sheer pinks, muted blues and greens with aspects of white and black. Sounds breathtaking? Wait… there’s more.
‘To translate the bizarre and perverse nature of the painting I reverted back to basic fashion pattern making blocks for skirts, bodices and dresses. But I then played with the proportions and the placement of the basic shapes on the body, like turning a traditional neckline of a basic bodice into a rolled lapel on a black silk cloak, or fusing two layers of silk together in one section and then draping the outer layer whilst keeping all of the original darts and seams of the bodice in tact.
‘I wanted to project an illusion of nudity whilst clothing the body,’ Cook continued. ‘To achieve this I have veiled the body with sheer layers of silk so you can still see the human form underneath. To translate the depth of the painting I cut a basic dress shape out of patent leather and then cut into it images from the painting, this was then draped onto the body of sheer organza creating a 3-dimensional garment.’
With such a passion for his fashion – and the ability to succinctly convey it – the only thing that could possibly further endear one to Cook and his work is the fact that all of his pieces use the highest quality of fabrics and are all completely made in Western Australia. It’s this final detail which is sure to see Cook catapult safely out of the emerging section and into the professional dynamic of fashion design with all the crescendo of a fireball. After all, the true merit of inspiration is that it not only lights the creative fire of the maker, but ignites the desire of those watching it.
Scott-Patrick Mitchell
