Nicole Ghosn is a fashion design graduate from the fashion design BFA program at Parsons. Her thesis is a crochet-based collection, titled: “From mother to daughter.” Her collection reminded me of my grandmother's craftsmanship and it transported me right back to my own childhood. Nicole's inspiration came to her during a summer she spent in Northern Lebanon, where her family has its roots. Having grown up all over the world, in cities, with modern values she felt disconnected from her family’s roots and tradition. Nicole discovered the crochet table covers that had moved houses and countries with her family, and realized she had never really paid attention to them. Her mom told her how her grandmother and great grandmothers had made them by hand for their family and homes. This was a craft that had traditionally been taught from mother to daughter, and continued through generations, but it had skipped her.
So with this thesis collection NIcole decided to bridge the gap between generations and breathe new life to the crochet tradition that had been in her family for generations. She taught herself to crochet, inspired by the patterns of her ancestors, and used modern silhouettes that connected her forgotten heritage with her present.
Nicole was sponsored by the shoe polytechnic in Italy, and had the opportunity to visit the school and the factories outside of Venice this past January. They created 6 prototypes for her: two designs, in three colorways each. The inspiration for these shoes is again her summer house in Northern Lebanon, specifically back in the early stages of its construction, and the scaffolding used. This first shoe has a stepped cantilever heel; and the second a shifted heel. The braided leather component adds texture to the upper of the shoe. The shoes are meant to anchor the looks, through their structure as well as the use of darker colors.
You can find out more about Nicole Ghosn at her website KnittyLittleThings.com
