ESTHER SANDLER
KATE BUSHKate Bush is one of my heroes. I love her unusual vocal melodies and the strange ideas she explores in her
music. To me, her songs have the perfect ‘singability’ – slightly too high in key to manage without being very
over-the-top and dramatic, and perfect for singing in the shower. I remember listening to Hounds of Love on
repeat in my old bedroom when I was finishing up my fashion and textiles course. Picture me in a room with
paper and fabric spread all over the floor, trying to motivate myself and using Kate Bush to keep me going!
Researching for this project, I found some amazing photos of her wearing great ’80s tees, and they influenced
my own design. I took inspiration from the theatrical and dramatic feel of Kate’s music, as well as her personal
style and presence as a powerful woman, capturing this through a reference to her song “L’Amour Looks
Something Like You”. My design shows a hand holding a mirror with the face of Kate Bush staring back in the
reflection. I tried to channel a bold and graphic illustration style and a playful-yet-feminine colour palette. It
was a bit of a challenge to work out how to transfer a design I’d created onto a tee. I ended up hand-painting
the majority of it in black with fabric ink, then using flocking for the bright red and pink details. Flocking adds a
velvety texture to areas with special glue, and provides not only a colour contrast, but also a tactile contrast that
can be admired up close. I also added embellishment with some French knots around the outside of the frame.
I’d like to think that 1980s Kate Bush would like this tee, and be keen to add it into her wardrobe rotation.
hands on