Gabrielle Dalby
she/her
With Love, From Helen
With Love, from Helen is a womenswear collection rooted in the beauty, power and pain of the female body. My concept was sparked by a desire to connect with my grandmother, Helen. I never met her due to her early death, yet I was struck by the idea that, as she was pregnant with my mother, she was also carrying the eggs which would one day, become my sisters and I.
Taking inspiration from Matryoshka dolls and the four phases of the menstrual cycle, my collection aims to visualise this matriarchal connection in a soft and elegant way. I draw on the mother-daughter symbolism of the blood-like pomegranate, as well as Helen’s own artwork to highlight an intimate connection that surpasses generations.
Through techniques of gathering, printing and carefully appliquéing silk organza, taffeta and grosgrain onto volumes of tulle, the garments delicately and lavishly illustrate the feminine balance of connection, tension, and release.
Look 1, hand pleated tulle dress with printed textile appliqué in taffeta, silk organza, and grosgrain.
Look 2, dress with taffeta bodice and tutu of tulle, silk organzas and printed taffeta appliqué.
Look 1 & Look 2 with Russian doll wool jacket, with sleeve embroidery and wadded alpaca wool collar.
Look 3, silk organza bodice with puff of tulle, veiled in organically shirred organza panels.
Look 2 & Look 3, featuring Russian doll lined wool trousers with topstitched & offset embroidery.
Research
