No Bad Trips
Welcome To No Bad Trips…
A Colour-Popping, Eye-Catching, Sequin Shimmying, Disco Raving, Sustainable Summer Collection...
Welcome to No Bad Trips, a colour-popping, eye-catching, sequin shimmying, disco raving, sustainable summer collection that I am so excited to share with you all, right here at Bambi’s Den. I began work on this last summer and it had been scheduled for release in May however due to the surrealism of a global pandemic some of my best-laid plans had to be postponed or even cancelled. However, over lockdown, I had time to rethink and reshuffled a few things and now not only am I thrilled to be launching a brand new website but I am just so god damn excited to talk about No Bad Trips.
The makings of this project started a year ago after moving to my new studio. In the process of packing and organising it dawned on me just how much fabric and materials I have amassed over my years as an independent designer. At the core of what I do at Bambi's Den is to reuse, up-cycle and waste as little as possible and this year I really wanted to challenge myself to take that as far as possible. I have found that setting up this one clear rule has led to an incredible creative journey that has drawn upon many of my experiences as I’ve carefully examined and reconnected to my resources to make entirely new and interesting garments from materials I had all but forgotten. So the rule was simple:
I must only use the fabric I already own. I will not purchase anything new.
This collection comprises of handmade garments, reused and reworked clothing and materials, thrifted pieces with lots of hand-sewn details. Throughout the collection, you’ll find pieces that represent an eclectic melting pot of street style and festival fashion. No Bad Trips takes inspiration from travelling through festivals both at home and abroad, European cities and from the forgotten fabrics that have weighed down the studio shelves that I needed to personally reconnect with and re-imagine anew.
So… No Bad Trips, what’s that about?
The first burst of inspiration to create this collection came in 2018 after attending a beautiful and majestic festival in Bulgaria called Meadows in the Mountains, situated atop of the Rhodopi mountain range. I went on this adventure by myself and in many ways, It was to find myself and be myself. The atmosphere, colours, people, art, music, food, landscape, streams and my gosh…I could literally go on. I’ve been to many festivals in my time but none have ever hit me the way this one has. After what had been a difficult few years, this place and time felt like a renewal for me, spending time by myself but also forging new experiences inspired by the dramatic backdrop of the Rhodopi mountains and the hundreds of other travellers who had come to commune there. This collection has a strong emphasis on travel and adventure, the prints throughout the collection not only have an artistic quirk to them but are representations of things I’ve been able to see and experience. The time I’ve spent in these mountains has left a deep and lasting impression on me, helped me put life into perspective for me and over the last two years, Bulgaria has become a big part of my life, having returned many times to explore its countryside and cities, get to know it’s beautiful, welcoming people and ancient culture. Not to mention, I spend a lot of time in Ruse (Pyce) which is in the northern part of Bulgaria and borders with Romania, naturally, in a new city, one of the first things I do is explore all the second-hand thrift shops, finding a veritable treasure trove, inspiring me to weave fabrics such as retro print curtains and vintage denim into the collection. So, can you spot them?
It doesn’t stop there, some garments are directly up-cycled from workwear which I was lucky enough to get my hands on in Spain. Amazingly I had the opportunity to visit a friend who helps run her family-owned garment factory and was able to fill my suitcase with all the dead stock fabric I could carry. We’re talking high visibility, super hard-working fabrics that I’m sure most people won’t associate with fashion garments. However, when I rediscovered them hiding under a mountainous pile, their place in this collection became clear. No prizes for guessing which pieces these inspired.
“Let’s get weird.”
Lastly, I can’t talk about this collection without discussing the influence Germany has had on me. Since my sister first moved to Germany in 2015 I have been a frequent visitor and we love the fashion culture there so much. Starting in the European street-style capital; Berlin we have had the best times absorbing the street fashion and hunting through the myriad second-hand shops. Do yourself a favour, if you’re ever in Berlin don’t skip a visit to Humana, particularly the 5-floor second-hand superstore at Frankfurter Tor. The first time I went there my jaw-dropped, it is, quite seriously, overwhelming. Whenever I get a chance I always pop in and the Let’s Get Weird, hand-painted jacket was thrifted from there and the design is inspired by my time in Bulgaria. Berlin is a place you can be weird and I love the freedom of expression that thrives there.