Photography, styling & pieces by Gabrielle Polesy
The focus of the collections specialisation was designing within the framework of fashion brand Dries Van Noten — developing a distinct, recognizable design signature inspired by the brand's legacy. By integrating heritage, contemporary socio-cultural influences and personal aesthetics, the aim was a cohesive, forward-thinking collection that bridges personal creativity with professional relevance.
Specialising in knitwear, I explored industrial knitting techniques, ultimately focusing on the Fair Isle method, which became central to the designs. The collection comprises 15 looks, with three fully realised, accompanied by process documentation, knit samples, a photoshoot, a campaign and a collection book.
Not an official collaboration with Dries Van Noten — university brief.
Knitted jumper and hat: print and machine Fair Isle knit. Wool and silk pants: fabric from The Fabric Shop, Newtown. Button-up shirt: hand-dyed with machine-sewn stripe thread details. All pieces sewn by Gabrielle Polesy.
Button-up shirt: machine-sewn stripe thread details. Vest, hat & skirt: digital print. Pants: fabric from Tesuti Fabrics, Surry Hills. All pieces sewn by Gabrielle Polesy.
Shirt: machine-sewn stripe yarn details. Jacket: Tesuti Fabrics, Surry Hills. Shorts: Tesuti Fabrics with print and machine Fair Isle knit statements. Socks: bead-embroidered. Scarf: print and machine Fair Isle knit. All pieces sewn by Gabrielle Polesy.
Inspired by my childhood beach, Bronte, and initiated by my move to Amsterdam, “Colouring Nostalgia” explores how returning to a place that once felt like home can evoke nostalgia, belonging and identity.
The collection captures the emotional journey of revisiting places filled with memories, while highlighting the vacation-like joy and idealized perspective that often accompanies that experience.
An integral part of my process was sourcing old images from my home and childhood, which became the foundation for the colours, textures, patterns and prints in the collection — alongside collages contrasting black-and-white and vibrant colour, symbolising how memories evolve.
The collection is captured through the lens of return, reworking sun-bleached childhood snapshots from Bronte into knitted colour and print. Every look carries a small fragment of that first house by the sea — an old photograph brought back into the world as something wearable.
Sourcing old images from home and childhood became the foundation for the colours, textures, patterns and prints in the collection — alongside collages contrasting black-and-white and vibrant colour, symbolising how memories evolve over time.
Collages made on Photoshop by Gabrielle Polesy
The process evolved throughout the semester, encompassing illustrations, 2D and 3D collaging, site research and excursions, garment realisation, brand research and explorations in knit and print technique.
Excerpts from the process document, highlighting key activities that informed the development of the concept, garment construction and silhouettes.
The realisation of the garments, including fittings and pattern development using CLO 3D — every garment first completed in toile de luxe ahead of final materials.
A print for Look 2 and knit designs for Looks 1 and 3, plus various styling pieces, ahead of the final photoshoot and runway show.
A flip-through of the collection book, gathering the concept, colour work, print and knit development and the finished looks into one document.