Meet Laura Krause, Redress Design Award 2020 Womenswear Finalist

LAURA KRAUSE

AUSTRALIA

Between 2019-20, devastatingly intense bushfires in Australia burnt an estimated 18.6 million hectares and killed an estimated one billion animals, driving many species to the brink of extinction. Designer Laura Krause pays homage to the forgotten birds lost in the bushfires in her Redress Design Award collection, Songs of the Bush.

“Growing up, some of my fondest memories are of exploring the bushlands in Queensland,” says Laura, who holds an Associate Degree in International Fashion Design from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. “I distinctly remember the bright colours and beautiful sounds of the birds fluttering through dry, colourless trees. Their songs have a way of making you forget the problems of the world. During the bushfires, all I could think about was those birds. I want my collection to exude the sense of joy and freedom I felt listening to the soul of the bush.”

Drawing shapes from vintage American football uniforms juxtaposed with ultra-feminine swimwear, Songs of the Bush offers utilitarian zero-waste garments, hand-knitted from recycled wool and cotton, with each segment knitted to the precise shape needed. Function and flexibility for the wearer lies at the collection’s core. Ex-dancer Laura’s aims are clear: “I want to have my own 'slow-fashion' brand where emphasis is on quality of product over quantity. I want to educate my customers on how to be responsible consumers without compromising on style - and I want to prove that waste doesn't need to look like waste.”

The plight of the planet remains key to her work: “For years I have watched as politicians allow climate change to destroy my country. Industry needs to take the lead before it’s too late. Fashion is a huge contributor to the world’s crisis and it is our responsibility to make drastic and immediate change.”