Haenyeo [해녀], the female free divers of Jeju Island are the inspiration for this collection. I wanted to create an empowering collection that celebrates their strength and individuality, using latex, a renewable material, to create strong, voluminous shapes. Each print comes from analogue images I took whilst studying and travelling in South Korea, edited to create modernised floral patterns that reflect the diver’s weathered clothes.
I aim to highlight some of the valuable lessons we could learn from their sustainable food, lifestyles, and resilient spirit – challenging expectations of aging, women and motherhood.
Photography: Dom Flavell / Molly Moreton
Models: Youngwon Lee / Florence Windsor
Lessons in sustainable living from the female free divers of South Korea – challenging expectations of ageing, women and motherhood.