Mind Threads is a new way of looking at clothing as a conduit and wearable toolkit for wellbeing, and one which I have devised through my role as a fashion designer, fashion educator, NLP practitioner, Life Coach and through in depth study of the theoretical and academic knowledge underpinning my practice.

I completed a Masters in Fashion to explore the integration of the two disciplines (fashion and the mind) and evaluate how they can be used together to improve mental wellbeing.

The masters produced a collection which explored the journey of mental wellbeing through garments:

Fragility, Unravelling, Authenticity, Doing the Work, Healing, Self Love and Onwards………

Each garment was a stage in a journey where one could heal; from pain, build resilience, form boundaries and gain a sense of self in order to move forwards to a place of self acceptance, self love, peace and happiness - despite the inevitable highs and lows in life.

I performed a user study with a ‘Power Pack’, an item the users could wear. Each item had an anchor point in the design to a particular psychological technique and users were given a set of clear instructions to help the user get the most out of your garment. The Power Pack has a zip compartment which contained further useful props.

From this, and further work, Mind threads was born.

I am confident that Mind Threads is not only innovative but also encourages sustainable practice. As ‘we’ form an affection and emotional connection with our clothing so the stories and memories build with the item over time.

As we feel better about ourselves, we may decide to consciously consume and perhaps buy less, repair, treasure and love more those few things that we do buy.