What's in the Selvedge Wardrobe: Katerina Knight
As we prepare for Selvedge's upcoming symposium, the Wardrobe Revolution Weekend, we're delving into the Selvedge wardrobe to explore clothing practices and our connection to what we wear. To kick things off, we have insights from our Assistant to the Editor, Katerina Knight.
Katerina began working with Selvedge as a contributing writer while completing their Masters in Textiles at the Royal College of Art. In addition to their role as an editorial assistant for the magazine, they also serve as a lecturer on the BA Textile programme at Hereford College of Art and are a practising textile artist.
As a maker, they are passionate about how textiles allow them to create beautiful things that bring a sense of magic to a world that often feels quite turbulent.
Text courtesy of Katerina Knight
Since leaving my life in the city behind and relocating from London to the Malvern Hills in the Worcestershire countryside, I have realised how impractical my London wardrobe is for day-to-day rural life. Floor-length skirts, white blouses, and delicate sheer fabrics are not designed to withstand the blustery hilltops I now enjoy.
While I previously selected clothing based on style aesthetics and interesting silhouettes, it is now a priority that my clothing provides protection, warmth, and comfort. My daily attire is often leggings with a tunic-style dress and hiking shoe clothes that move with me. But still, I like to retain the essence of me through hand embroidered details or soft floral prints. I have transitioned my colour palette away from white and into more earthy and durable shades of beige, muted greens and subdued pinks; colours which blend softly into the landscape.
When buying new pieces I am cautious to ensure that each piece works with my collection; a piece that can be worn with or layered together with several looks. I enjoy finding second-hand treasure troves out in the countryside. My favourite boutique to buy clothing from is Nina and Co, a fashion and decorative antique store in Ludlow. It is a haven of well-curated vintage fashions. I love that each time I visit, I never quite know what I will find; this is the joy of shopping, the unexpectedness. In the digital age with the rise of online shopping, before we visit a store, we already know what we will find; the element of surprise has been lost.
For a while, I felt a sense of sadness that many of the clothes I once loved wearing are no longer practical. However, now living away from a city and having left working in fashion design studios, I have found a sense of liberation. When free from advertisements and clothing stores on almost every street and no longer immersed in following the latest trends, I can evolve my wardrobe in a way that is authentically true to me.
Wardrobe Revolution Weekend will be held on 19 & 20 October 2024. Find out more and book your tickets here.
Katerina began working with Selvedge as a contributing writer while completing their Masters in Textiles at the Royal College of Art. In addition to their role as an editorial assistant for the magazine, they also serve as a lecturer on the BA Textile programme at Hereford College of Art and are a practising textile artist.
As a maker, they are passionate about how textiles allow them to create beautiful things that bring a sense of magic to a world that often feels quite turbulent.
Text courtesy of Katerina Knight
Since leaving my life in the city behind and relocating from London to the Malvern Hills in the Worcestershire countryside, I have realised how impractical my London wardrobe is for day-to-day rural life. Floor-length skirts, white blouses, and delicate sheer fabrics are not designed to withstand the blustery hilltops I now enjoy.
While I previously selected clothing based on style aesthetics and interesting silhouettes, it is now a priority that my clothing provides protection, warmth, and comfort. My daily attire is often leggings with a tunic-style dress and hiking shoe clothes that move with me. But still, I like to retain the essence of me through hand embroidered details or soft floral prints. I have transitioned my colour palette away from white and into more earthy and durable shades of beige, muted greens and subdued pinks; colours which blend softly into the landscape.
When buying new pieces I am cautious to ensure that each piece works with my collection; a piece that can be worn with or layered together with several looks. I enjoy finding second-hand treasure troves out in the countryside. My favourite boutique to buy clothing from is Nina and Co, a fashion and decorative antique store in Ludlow. It is a haven of well-curated vintage fashions. I love that each time I visit, I never quite know what I will find; this is the joy of shopping, the unexpectedness. In the digital age with the rise of online shopping, before we visit a store, we already know what we will find; the element of surprise has been lost.
For a while, I felt a sense of sadness that many of the clothes I once loved wearing are no longer practical. However, now living away from a city and having left working in fashion design studios, I have found a sense of liberation. When free from advertisements and clothing stores on almost every street and no longer immersed in following the latest trends, I can evolve my wardrobe in a way that is authentically true to me.
Wardrobe Revolution Weekend will be held on 19 & 20 October 2024. Find out more and book your tickets here.