Celia Phillips Yearning for Zion

Fashion designer Celia Phillips rummages about in religion and the occult for divine inspiration. Anything from the more traditional order of Catholicism to secret societies such as The Golden Dawn and the Morman fundamentalist cult Yearning for Zion, upon which her latest collection is based.

“I was inspired by the pastel coloured prairie dresses that they wear and by how this cult was so conservative yet the way they dressed and wore their hair was so unconventional and striking. I was interested in giving my clothes a darker edge and so was looking at a lot of occult imagery and symbolism”.

The entire collection is 100% cotton, giving it a natural and homely appearance in keeping with the prairie aesthetic and yet the voile is luxuriously sheer and the unusual shapes and draping give it a very modern edge.

Celia is a recent design graduate of AUT but she has been sewing since she was 15. There is a sophistication in her work which is notable both in the finishing; French seams, double layered stitching and in the risks she takes by deconstructing each design to arrive at completely original, wearable and beautifully executed pieces.

“Celia Phillips showed a collection based on an American Latter Day Saints (Mormon) cult named Yearning for Zion. Lots of Amish layers and bias cut drapery. Her five look womenswear range was easily on the same level with some of the best stuff we saw at New Zealand Fashion Week. Hopefully a clever designer will snap her up and put her to work straight away”. www.isaaclikes.com reviewing the AUT Rookie Fashion Show 2009.

Keep an eye out for Celia's next range, inspired by religious garments “especially priest’s frock coats, baptismal gowns and nuns habits” which will be out October/November.

'Yearning for Zion' is stocked in Miss Crabb in Ponsonby and Children of Vision in St Kevins Arcade on Karangahape Road.

Contact Celia on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Photographer in the North Head tunnels shoot: Lydia Cowpertwait
Photographer in the interior photo shoot: Oliver Rose
Model: Zoe Granger

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