Zoë Daley

Layered pleated knitted swatches in shades of brown, orange, navy and violet.

Zoë is a constructed textile practitioner specialising in modular knitwear. She approaches knit in an inquisitive manner with unique creative urgency, led by making and the material.

The modular approach of her work aims to act as a disruption of current unsustainable fashion production and consumption methods. By separating garments into dynamic and versatile panels at the design phase, she aims to playfully tackle dwindling clothing utilisation, which ‘has decreased by 36% compared to 15 years ago’ (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2017).

By focusing on integrated circularity through flexible design, the modular method aims to reduce the approximate £140 million worth of clothing ending up in landfill every year (BFC, 2020). Changing the way knitwear is produced and moving beyond the restrictions of fully fashioned garments, there is potential to alter and adapt the current disposable and frivolous nature of fashion.

Zoë's interest in modular garment construction was sparked during her time at Central Saint Martins, where she was awarded a First Class BA(Hons) in Textile Design. The use of deadstock material is paramount to her practice, with her innovative knitwear design and deadstock application leading to her being selected as a finalist for the British Fashion Council Student Fabric Initiative in partnership with the materialist.

Always enamoured with the cultural and physical bricolage of cities, her design handwriting fuses repetitive structure and geometry with hand-led freeform craft. Constructing a diverse library of knitted studies to analyse structural pleat behaviours has been an underlying focus of her MA, allowing her to demonstrate her distinct technical ability. Creating high twist structures forming knits with dynamic stretch potential without the use of synthetic fibres has thoroughly excited her as a designer.

Ultimately, modular garment construction will continue to be her research and making focus throughout her career, aiming to constantly develop new and personal perspectives on knitwear.

Zoë from waist up clutching some of the modular fabrics close to her chest with both arms and looking down.

Hold dear to hand on is a collaborative project bridging knitwear design and public art engagement.

Within the modular approach to her work, Zoë explores attachment to clothing, proposing that we become the guardians of our garments as opposed to the owners. The idea of ownership and the psychology behind collecting leads her conceptual theory and design practice for the project, giving a nuanced and personal approach to modular design.

Her showcased work fuses art, fashion and community. The collection of modular panels shown has visited various garment guardians, allowing each to form their own unique and individual outfits. By separating clothing into flexible panels that can be fashioned in countless ways, the wearer is embedded into the design process and offered creative autonomy.

Becoming a study of the individual, each guardian selected the pieces they wished to use within their outfit and fashioned it themselves, removing any outside influence from Zoë herself. Every composed outfit is then celebrated before being disassembled and handed on, with each look captured in a distinctive way, led by the guardian themselves.

This project will continue globally beyond Zoë's time at the RCA. If you would like to take part, please get in touch.

Ultimately, Hold dear to hand on aims to act as a catalyst for thought; reframing sustainable fashion by reintroducing the personal into the process.

Multiple angles of Ai in her modular outfit on a textile background detail of the panel she personalised

In Collaboration with:

ai // guardian

Ai is one garment guardian within 'Hold Dear to Hand On', collaborating with Zoë as a part of her modular clothing project.

Medium:

Modular knitwear

Maya rotating wearing the modular outfit she created on a textile detail background

In Collaboration with:

maya // guardian

Maya is one garment guardian within 'Hold Dear to Hand On', collaborating with Zoë as a part of her modular clothing project.

Medium:

Modular knitwear

circularity collaboration community crafts crochet deadstock fashion knit knitting knitwear modular-fashion stitch

Zoe rotating in her modular outfit former out of panels she made on a background of a knit panel detail

Medium:

Modular knitwear

circularity collaboration community crafts crochet deadstock fashion knit knitting knitwear modular-fashion stitch

Raphina is a series of three outfits constructed using knitted modular panels. Zoë herself formed these three looks, demonstrating the versatility of the panels and the vast and varied potential of the modular method.

The collection resulted in Zoë being named a finalist for the British Fashion Council Student Fabric Initiative in association with the materialist. The deadstock cotton yarns were sourced from Burberry by the materialist.