she/her
Summary – My Dopamine
My Dopamine is a textile-based project inspired by childhood memories of gardening and flower arranging with my grannies. Blending personal nostalgia with the principles of dopamine décor, the project reimagines floral vessels through soft, modular forms using patchwork, trapunto quilting, and detachable embroidery. Influenced by figures like Constance Spry and contemporary design trends, the collection celebrates colour, memory and customisation, offering a playful, sustainable alternative to traditional vases that invites emotional connection and creative interaction.
Growing up surrounded by drawing, designing and gardening, I developed a deep and lasting love for flowers. Time with my grannies, from both sides of the family, was always filled with joy and colour. That’s why this project feels like My Dopamine; it expresses happiness, nostalgia and inherited passion.
With direction from floral artist and flower fanatic Granny Risely, My Dopamine is inspired by all things flower arranging. Our memories together drew me towards floristry, sparking a desire to explore its history, visual language and mood-boosting appeal.
One of the most fascinating features of flowers is their vibrant colour, designed to attract pollinators. As humans, we too are drawn to colour, instinctively choosing shades that reflect emotion and identity. This is echoed in our interiors, where dopamine décor helps make people feel good (Lee, 2024).
This positive emotional response led me to consider not just the flowers, but also the vessels that support them and how they could contribute to a space’s energy. Inspired by iconic florist, Constance Spry, and contemporary designer @September Studio, I became fascinated by vase forms, functions and histories. Spry’s mantel vases, with their low profiles and natural movement, contrast with today’s minimal, narrow-necked vases. Her belief in decorating with objects you love, old or new, perfectly aligns with the spirit of dopamine décor.
Moving beyond ceramics and glass, Trapunto fabric panels offered versatility, allowing vases to be collapsed or adapted depending on mood, arrangement type or space.
Colour plays a crucial role in strengthening the emotional connection of the pieces. A vibrant palette of minty green, deep blue, red-orange, vivid magenta and bright yellow enhances mood and expresses the project’s joyful spirit. Each shade carries symbolic meaning: yellow conveys vibrancy and hope; magenta communicates playfulness; blue offers peace and calm; green suggests growth and harmony; and orange brings energy and optimism (Galvan, 2021).
While maintaining their structure and rigidity, each vase will have modular elements, giving users the freedom to play and arrange detachable embroidery motifs inspired by Josef Frank. Experimentation will also involve integrating stitched chicken wire to capture the nostalgic and practical aesthetics of traditional arrangements.
Following the key floral design principle ‘golden rule of odds’, the collection of five modular, fabric-based vases is inspired by the three moods: joy, nostalgia, and comfort. Each vase will combine seven bright dopamine colours and soft, sculptural forms to encourage emotional engagement and experimentation with flower arranging. Inspired by Constance Spry, the collection maintains a vintage elegance reimagined for modern interiors. A classic structural silhouette provides a strong foundation, while maximalist surface decoration adds playfulness and individuality. The vessels will be lightweight and collapsible, offering a customisable alternative to traditional vases. The collection aims to appeal to younger audiences seeking personalised, expressive interiors.
Sustainability is embedded into the project, reusing scrap and inherited fabrics to support zero-waste principles. Traditional trapunto quilting techniques not only give structural rigidity but also breathe new life into otherwise discarded cloth.
The collapsible nature of the fabric vessels also responds to the needs of modern interiors, offering space-saving solutions. If developed further, the designs could evolve into fully lined, watertight containers, allowing even greater functionality. These designs provide a fresh perspective on floral displays without compromising on style or sentimentality.
2025
Madeira
Student Embroidery Sponsorship.
2024
The Bradford Textiles Society
Commendation- P1 Category, a Print Design for Fashion.
2024
Wraptious
Special Mention- International Cushion Design Competition.
2023
Milliken
Winner of Live Project – In Association with Loughborough
University.
HER Studio London
Freelance Fashion & Print Design Experience
01/2024- 08/2024
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