Final Major Project: Orikata Botanica

Orikata Botanica is a Spring/Summer ready-to-wear textile collection that brings together the precision of origami and the poetic symbolism of Japanese florals. Drawing inspiration from the disciplined artistry of paper folding and the layered cultural meaning behind botanical motifs in Japanese tradition, this project is a tribute to heritage, reinvention, and the tactile power of fabric.

Influenced by the structural elegance of designers like Issey Miyake and the dimensional experimentation of Mikka Barr, I set out to fuse traditional Japanese aesthetics with future-facing textile practices. Visits to exhibitions at the Victoria and Albert Museum, Saatchi Gallery, and the Russell-Cotes Museum in Bournemouth deepened my exploration of Japanese craftsmanship and informed my design approach. Traditional Wagara patterns served as both visual language and conceptual anchor, shaping the rhythm and detail of the collection.

This collection pushes the boundaries of surface design through a mix of digital and hand-driven techniques. I combined digital print, laser cutting, hand manipulation, and digital CAD embroidery to build layered, tactile surfaces that shift between organic softness and geometric discipline. Each piece is an interplay of old and new—where cultural memory meets technical innovation.

Designed for the Spring/Summer season, Orikata Botanica embraces lightness, movement, and wearability, while maintaining a strong conceptual core. It’s more than a textile project—it’s a sensory experience that reimagines how fabric can hold and express meaning, heritage, and progress.