Kay Trowbridge

Redolence: The faint redolence of the past dictates our senses still. Millions of years of olfactory evolution constrained by social prejudice to rigid binaries intended to sell. My thesis aims to unite the divided worlds by distilling the imposed binaries of fragrance narrative, and their fashioned gender counterparts, to their raw forms and redefine them. My garments are made out of organic fibers which are naturally porus and allow for fragrance molecules to embed, allowing each look's individually designed perfume to be a part of the design experience. Inspired by this period that glorified division, and framed through scent associations of the time, my garments integrate the top, middle, and base notes of Edwardian daily dress to re-contextualize and expand our modern relationship with fragrance.

Self: I am a New York based designer that uses the medium of fashion design to tell stories about the natural world and move away from modern understandings of style by re-imagining the history of our clothes. I design with inspiration from the Edwardian era’s tailoring, textiles, social commentary, and craftsmanship. The beauty of design is in the details and the conscious ways we choose to layer the top, middle, and base notes of garments to create a sense of identity similar to the artistry of perfume making. I thus combine olfactory and molecular research that I personally perform in perfume making to pair fragrance notes with textiles and looks for each of my collections. Bringing this background into my thesis, I think it is time that we discover the ways we can combine fragrance and fashion, redefine the past and tell new and modern tales involving unexpected senses.