“At first I was thinking okay, how do I actually express dissociation?” Maria Goundry, a recent graduate of CSM, told Noctis when speaking about the inspiration behind her graduate collection, future plans, and her university experience.
Drawing on her personal experiences with dissociation, Maria Goundry’s final Central Saint Martins collection encompasses otherworldly shapes, layering with tulle and an expansive range of print patterns. Describing her pieces as “surreal” and “chaotic, kind of overwhelming”, Goundry utilises structural elements to emphasise the disorienting feelings associated with dissociation.
With many pieces demonstrating office wear archetypes, Goundry’s collection takes further inspiration from London commuters, bending the traditional corporate workwear into artwork. “It was a lot of experimentation and a lot of failing”, Goundry recalls. The traditional button-up shirt features heavily across the collection, presented in Goundry’s signature maximalist style with tulle, chiffon and screen printing methods. The use of exaggerated silhouettes and conflicting colour palettes emphasises the mental impact of dissociation, with orange, blue and red motifs throughout.
Goundry drew on her personal connection to various surrealist artworks, preferring to explore her visual response to individual pieces rather than hone in on one artist. Describing herself as detail oriented, Goundry uses this as part of her research and design process. “I can go out and see a piece of chewing gum on the floor. If it’s an interesting shape, I can come up with an idea.”
The collection is evidently an excellent amalgamation of Goundry’s creative experience. Her second year project for Grayson Perry clearly had an impact on her techniques and use of colour: while she has always ventured towards maximalism, her current use of dichotomous print and fabric appears to be heavily influenced by this project. Having come second place in this competition within Central Saint Martins, her ability to align her personal sense of style and design with a specific brief shines through.
However, having come from a working-class background, Goundry understands the financial difficulties associated with creating a career in fashion. “I couldn’t do certain techniques because they were too expensive, but I always tried to find creative ways around it.” As many creative universities offer bursaries, scholarships and other financial funds, the fashion industry is slowly becoming more accessible, with designers like Goundry able to express their creativity more freely. However, as Goundry states: “it does take energy and it’s a whole other thing you have to worry about”, compared to other students who may be wealthier.
With the vast majority of her graduate collection made from deadstock or upcycled materials, Goundry’s next venture includes starting a small business focused on sustainability and slow fashion. While this will include artistic pieces, the main creations will be wearable (but still maximalist!), ensuring pieces are fun and expressive as well as practical. Goundry’s strong morals and beliefs shine throughout her collection, with her ethos “you just have to trust yourself” made clear through her deeply personal and intricate creative outcomes. On working with senior creatives and tutors, she recommends “take the nuggets of knowledge where you can, but also do your own thing”.
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Words: Sophie Maskell
Photography: Nico Bradley Wyatt
Styling: Oscar Sasso
Make-up: Yasmin
Models:Tuhan Taylor, Lou, Johanna Enemokwu, Jihyun Kim, Yasmin, Roberta Lakata
Feature Editor: Florentyna Syperek