Lydia Ward is a womenswear designer focusing on contemporary, accessible, and adaptive garments with a historical context. Surrealist, macabre, deconstructionist, and camp concepts are Lydia’s main sources of influence. These inspirations emerge vividly in her use of human hair as a material, her exploration of the abject body, and her provocative design approach. Currently pursuing her BA in Fashion, Lydia is developing her graduate collection, which highlights her research and experimentation with human hair as both a textile and a theoretical concept. Moreover, she worked with hair while designing and making jewelry. Lydia is currently developing human hair yarn to be worked with through lace crochet and knitwear. The most treasured hairwork she created is a surrealist hair jacket inspired by Elsa Schiaparelli and Jean Cocteau. The jacket features an applique of Lydia’s hair, which cascades down the sleeve in a macabre and fascinating style. The jacket also features hair-covered buttons that were hand-pressed.
