Hayden Cherouny

All of the elements that are explored in this collection are a combination of the tactile memory that I experienced as a child, and my interest in weaving. When originally exploring this idea I started to think about all of the sensorial sensations that I experienced as a child, and my mind went immediately to summertime. I would spend summers hiking, so I began to think a lot about breathability in clothing, and how vital this idea of adaptability can be when sweating, and experiencing varying temperatures. When trying to understand technical clothing, my research began with stretch fabrics and dry fit materials. These kinds of fabrics lead me to elastic, and all of the elements that make up stretch material. 

In this collection, through an experimentation with elastic, stretch elements are enhanced, or become obsolete. When I began weaving elastic, I noticed a change in how the material stretches when woven with different tensions. When the tension of the loom is tighter, the stretch of the elastic is enhanced. Then, when the tension is looser, the elastic loses its stretch. This is the basis of my thesis collection. Through this experimentation with stretch fabrics, and specifically elastic, I am able to truley see how this material functions, when I work against it and with it. Woven elastic takes form in many different ways in my thesis collection, varying from strips and details, to the entire body of the garment. Through this variation the wearer is able to actually feel the woven and stretch components on different parts of the body. Given that this idea is commenting on the rapidly changing weather patterns in the world that we live in, using sustainable materials is a vital part of this collection. With that being said, the majority of the sourced elastic in this collection is biodegradable, or made from recycled materials.