Brooke Neuberger

Brooke Neuberger

Materiality

BOREDOM

Within my thesis exploration and development phases, I aim to evolve my techniques both through and beyond knitting and crocheting. I strategically use discarded materials like yarn, various forms of metal, and old beads from my great-grandmother's jewelry. The core objective is to infuse new life and structure into these elements. My creativity focuses on reimagining wearable textiles by emphasizing colossal shapes and distinctive silhouettes—ranging from squiggly squares and rectangles to triangles and ovals. This exploration is deeply rooted in birthing creativity from the womb of boredom. Boredom serves as the gateway and catalyst to my creative process, with my stream-of-consciousness creative methods acting as a physical manifestation of my immediate surroundings, pulling me out of the void of boredom.
Through my designs, I seek to convey the essence of 'boring' within grandeur and minimalistic allure while simultaneously challenging conventions by way of my unorthodox, irregular textile crafting. Should I encounter boredom during my process, I intend to adopt a different approach to the current method of creating. Rather than switching tasks, as I habitually do, I push through the listlessness by transitioning to a new manipulation or crafting technique. Delving further, I recognize that my moments of ennui often stem from being homebound, devoid of tasks or social engagements. This insight prompts me to juxtapose the static nature of boredom—usually characterized by poor posture, bare feet, and chills—with the dynamic immensity of my designs. Each piece encapsulates movement, form, and comfort (or its absence), mirroring the vacillations inherent to the experience of boredom. Boredom, in its spontaneity, ebbs and flows in tandem with life's peaks and troughs, casting it as a perpetual interlude amidst the tides of existence.
Image: Scans of process book & portfolio development
Image: Dubied dress made from reclaimed yarns
Image: Freehand crocheted dress made from wire
Image: Freehand crocheted dress using various reclaimed yarns [alpaca, cotton, etc.]
Image: Dress made from chains and reclaimed yarns
Image: Freehand crocheted top & skirt set
Image: Dubied top & skirt paired with crochet lace booties [material: 100% cotton yarn]
Image: Scan of dubied textile [swatch development]
Image: Freehand crocheted chain head covering and dress
Image: Chain dress paired with soda tab mini bag and shoulder covering accessories
Image: Freehand peyote beaded "bikini" & shoulder covering [material: found beads from my great-grandmother's jewelry]
Image: Hand-knit top paired with a machine-knit skirt [material: 100% cotton yarn]
Image: Model holding mini bag [material: felted human hair]
Image: Freehand crocheted wire + chain dress
Image: Model wearing metal junk bag on shoulder
Image: Scan of metal junk bag

Special Thanks To:

Family: Matthew, Susan, and Nikki Neuberger & Dana and Andy Queen
Model: Emmettia Henderson
Friends: Harrison O'Callaghan
Professors: Daniel Reynolds & Colin McNair
Photographer & Videographer: Bradley Peacock

Bio

Brooke Neuberger is from Baltimore, Maryland, and now lives in New York City. She discovered her enthusiasm for design and fashion after her family took her to The Little Mermaid on Broadway when she was seven, as she loved watching the glittering costumes come to life under the stage lights. Later, she pursued a bachelor's degree in fashion design at Parsons School of Design. During her time at The New School, Brooke developed particular freehand crafting techniques to produce textiles. Combining these techniques to formulate and explore new ways of manufacturing garments has been central to Brooke's stream-of-consciousness process. She values working with found objects and often incorporates crochet and knitting (machine, dubied, and hand) into her designs. She cares about the environment and has dedicated her thesis, in part, to utilizing materials she has accumulated from family and her environment to evolve textiles into larger garments. She recognizes that clothes carry a meaning beyond visual aesthetics and functionality; fashion can also be a tool for giving a new life to previously discarded objects and finding meaning in the mundane.

Instagram: @working_untitledneubergerbrooke@gmail.com
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