Summer Take Flight Development

Take Flight is inspired by the functional fashion and the female influences of aviation of the 1930's. Many influencers such as Amelia Earhart, Elinor Smith, and Harriet Quimby shaped the new world for female opportunities and promoted a change within the societies standards.

Over the summer I had the opportunity to revisit the Cradle of Aviation Museum located in Nassau County, Long Island New York. There I got to explore the history behind Long Island Aviation and to study the functions and purposes of flight apparel. This experience allowed me to fully understand the functional aspects of the flight uniform and how to adapt it into my collection.

The collection will utilize the combination of both masculine and feminine styles to elevate the collections depth. The collection will also utilize military dead-stock materials to give the fabrics a second life and to provide a new function. Resources such as parachutes, paracords, recycled yarns, and heavy weight fabrics will be used to develop a more tactical and functional collection.

These women were innovative, brave, adventurous, and valued the need for functional fashion. These women were experimental with their life. This including their choice of careers and with what they wore while on the job. From Harriet Quimby's Jumpsuit-Dress development to Amelia Earhart's clothing/travel-line, these women utilized their resources they were given (mens fashion) and transformed it to fit their needs and styles.