Maria Soromenho — Material Whirl

When I was growing up I wanted to be Laura Palmer. (If she was real of course. Please give my visionary, teenaged self some credit).

Even those who aren't Twin Peaks lovers will know this was a somewhat distorted ambition. Laura was, on the surface, a beautiful, popular high school student from a Pacific Northwest logging town. An only child seemingly adored by her parents, saccharine home-coming queen and selfless volunteer for the elderly. Yet lying nebulously beneath the golden-blonde veneer Laura was crazy wild, self-destructive and manipulative with a serious cocaine habit and well, let's just say a bit of a one. She did things that would turn anyone's hair white let alone her father's; just read her secret diary where any illusions of purity are brilliantly shattered. (No honestly do, it's eye-popping).

None of this was her fault of course, what with a possessed father and the weird and wonderful world that she and the other 51,201 residents (both existent and supernatural) inhabited. Despite this, Laura was smart and enigmatic with glossy 1950s pin-up looks and I imagined slipping into a kilt and soft cashmere jumper and mesmerizing just about everyone as she did in that mixed up little town.

So any homage to Twin Peaks' tragic heroine piques my curiosity (Hi, Laura Palmer by Bastille). This includes my new favourite thing - the 'Laura Palmer's Theme' Dress.

It is designed by the very talented Maria Soromenho, who first came to my attention back in 2013 with her first capsule collection and I have been following her with a fashion-hungry appetite ever since.

Gorgeously vampy and handmade with incredible attention to detail, the 'Laura Palmer’s Theme' Dress is the perfect statement piece. Ostensibly, from the back it is a sophisticated and classy little black dress; something good Laura might wear to the Double R Diner to meet James Hurley for a coffee or two.

Yet just like Laura herself, it can metamorphose with a turn of the body and swoosh of the hair. From the front its raw design is tough and punky with a strip of fierce black leather tassels that command your attention. This is very bad Laura, drinking at the Bang Bang Bar or running maniacally into night through the dark woods.

I absolutely love this dress. I would wear it with a bashed up pair of Chloé buckled leather ankle boots, an edgy cuff from & Other Stories and fiery MAC lipstick in Ruby Woo. The sounds of Angelo Badalamenti's ingenious compositions would be my inner soundtrack.

Of course, I need to wait for the right place to showcase this beauty and the Twin Peaks UK Festival sounds like a great place to start. With a number of devotees to the TV cult classic in attendance the dress is sure to be appreciated by the Peakies, who would note the similarities with the chic black dress and blood-red lipstick worn by Laura in the Black Lodge.

Thank you Maria, you have created the perfect homage to Laura - beautiful, tough and intricate and a visual reminder that sometimes appearances are not what they seem...

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Twin Peaks UK Festival

You can purchase the Laura Palmer's Theme Dress from Kuji Shop

The world of fashion is, arguably, dominated by the giant heavy weights, the icons. Chanel. Victoria Beckham. Oscar de la Renta. Erdem. To name but a few. The upper echelon of the fash-pack command the advertising pages of the glossy magazines (that I adore) and dominate the catwalk. They are the names to know, the collections to study, the looks to emulate and translate into your day-to-day wear.

But inspiration can be found in many places, and sometimes it's the emerging newbies, the just starting-outs, the underground movers and shakers that can influence and catch your eye.

May I introduce you to Maria Soromenho.

Maria contacted me recently about her first capsule collection, launched in August 2013, and I was intrigued by its unconventionality and taken in by the distinctive textures, the detail and striking colours of her work. Handcrafted sequins, beading and studs cleverly juxtapose leather and leopard skin and create a unique and fresh look. Her work is extremely influenced by music and art, and as a lover of both and of all things fashion related, I am particularly excited to showcase Maria's work on Material Whirl.

A clothing brand that is music / art conscious. Has the aim to collaborate with artists specially musicians. Each piece is different and unique. An experiment of materials and different textures. Experimental yet wearable. Each piece has a story, a song and a name. Fashion to communicate, give identity and to turn a lifestyle into a look that can be translated in clothes. An aim to shape a generation anddress the agitators. Not just about the clothes alone but how people dress them.

Born in Setubal, Portugal, Maria lived in Lisbon and Paris where she studied Stage Design and interned at the museum Les Arts Decoratifs being part of the organisation of the exhibition "Hussein Chalayan: recits de mode". Having briefly studied Womenswear at the London College of Fashion she also managed to get an impressive collection of internships under her (very stylish) belt including the prestigious Peter Pilotto and Richard Nicoll in London, and with the very influential Wonderland Magazine. She is currently Studio / General Manager and in-house PR at Fannie Schiavoni.