My cage research brought me onto flowers and butterflies after becoming mesmerised by Undercover’s Spring 2024 collection at Paris Fashion Week. I had the idea to add butterflies to my cage structure that could show this link. I went to a flower festival and butterfly garden in Florida to take photos that could be used towards further design.

I drew and painted some watercolours observational sketches, and then used my images to collage a design for my dry felt and embroidery pieces.

I researched Damien Hirst and his butterfly kaleidoscope paintings, which I then used to further my design ideas by creating rotation patterns using both butterflies and flowers, as I did for the Brighton Pavilion, these could then be sublimated printed onto fabric. After learning of Richard Quinn’s design, which really drew me in, I wanted to replicate his textiles concept by refining my rotations that could then be used in my own personal design style. To do this I layered my favourite flower rotation underneath my best butterfly one and then experimented with colour.