House of Cards “Femme” Collection
Designer Ashiya Omundsen explores the concept of femininity with a super-playful range
Exploring the concept of femininity, House of Cards designer Ashiya Omundsen has created possibly her most exciting collection to date. The New Zealand-born, Melbourne-based Omundsen released her “Femme” collection recently, and the diverse, bold range of pieces is a feast. The covetable collection includes fabrics covered in cellphone illustrations, cotton candy pink, tulle, metallics and even a boob pattern. We spoke with Omundsen about traditional perceptions of femininity and who she designs for.
“I wanted to mix traditional feminine with modern feminine,” Omundsen tells us about the overarching theme, which at times seems to poke fun at the idea of femininity or girlishness by embracing it so much that it’s over-the-top in a delightful way. “I wanted to juxtapose what is ‘seen’ as feminine with my interpretation of modern femininity. This was my starting point, but my design process is always in a state of flux so the end result is sometimes just a glimpse of my initial idea.” It’s clear that there were a lot of different directions in the collection, but it’s not jarring or messy, rather it furthers the concept—perhaps showing there’s no real, singular manifestation of femininity. “Some pieces in the collection are definitely bolder and more daring than others, with some being more for everyday. My collections are… not for everyone and I like that.”
Our pick is certainly the pink boob fabric, which Omundsen utilizes on shorts, high-waisted cropped pants and a collared dress. From the over-sized, puffy tulle to the voluminous metallic pieces, and cellphone motifs (“I was listening to Erykah Badu’s ‘Cain’t Use My Phone’ nonstop,” Omundsen says), “Femme” is daring and ultimately playful.
The entire “Femme” collection is available online now, with prices starting at $79 AUD.
Images courtesy of House of Cards
