Old photos, particularly portraits, fascinate me. My inspiration for this collection was a series of photographs by Deborah Turbeville, shot in the seventies. The images show a group of mysterious women in a forest. Although together, they look straight ahead, or to the sky, never at each other, no smiling. In these photos, I also see references to early 20th century women wearing loose clothes in reaction to the traditional corsets and tight gowns of that period.

My collection is a contemporary interpretation of the modesty, purity and elegance of the women from the photographs. The designs are characterised by generous volumes with feminine accents. I used natural fabrics such as silk, linen and cotton in a subtle range of colours.

Photo: Peter Stigter