Ana Miguel-Martins

Fashion Design - BA (Hons)

I’m Ana Miguel Martins, a Fashion Design graduate from Cambridge School of Art.

For my graduate collection, I reference the Anti-Rape movement of the 1960s and how it has evolved over the decades with a desperate call for action to protect women’s rights. Perpétua showcases a range of garments that highlight the positivity that comes from healing past traumas and finding a voice to confidently share your experiences. The title of the collection Perpétua illustrates the everlasting feeling of overcoming these obstacles over the years while constantly running into barriers but never giving up.

My initial research started with an essay I had written about the part that clothes play as proof of consent in sexual harassment and sexual assault cases. The research that I collected was extremely heavy in detail of these circumstances and often seen from a negative point. Through textured gathers that symbolise the holding on to past fragments of memory, to the contemporary take on the 1960s silhouette which informs the feeling of solidarity with those who have been marching for our rights since the first peaceful protest, the collection allows for the reflection of everybody’s own traumas and experiences as something that can slowly turn into a beautiful protest.