“There’s this idea in society that men are meant to be macho and not cry,” says Scottish Borders fashion student Matea Mandarić.
The 22-year-old from Croatia has created a series of garments around the theme of men’s mental health, ahead of the annual Degree Show at Heriot-Watt University’s School of Textiles and Design.
Carrying the slogan “Boys don’t cry”, her centrepiece outfit features a silver puffer jacket with large fabric spikes on its hood, worn with partitioned tartan trousers linked together with metal chains.
Matea, who is in the final year of her Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree in Fashion, said: “I wanted to start a conversation around men’s mental health and use menswear as a sort of protection against society’s expectations.
“I’ve created a jacket that’s protective and soft on the one hand, because it’s filled with very soft stuffing. But on the other hand, it still looks quite fierce because of the spikes.”
Matea has designed and stitched all her Degree Show outfits from scratch over the last year, despite never having threaded a sewing machine before starting her course four years ago.
She now hopes to study an MA in costume design for performance at London College of Fashion.
“Heriot-Watt has really helped me build the skills I need to feel more confident in my design practise,” Matea added.
Around 150 students from more than 15 countries are to showcase their work in the 2024 Degree Show.
Fashion garments, textile designs, interior design projects, digital designs, fashion marketing and design management work will be among the final year projects on display at the High Mill building, a converted textile mill at Netherdale in Galashiels, where the school is based.
The show will launch with a private showing for industry, staff and friends and family on Friday, May 31st, before opening to the public between Saturday, June 1st, to Friday, June 7th.
Students from countries including Italy, India, Egypt, Spain, Scotland, Hungary, Croatia, Nigeria, Poland and Ireland are taking part in the event.
David Cavallaro, Head of Discipline and Project Lead for the Degree Show at Heriot-Watt School of Textiles and Design, said: “The Degree Show is a vital part of the year, where students get to showcase all their hard work and also how they’ve evolved and learned.
“It’s an important stepping stone in their career journey, whether they’re continuing their study or going into industry. Students and staff start preparing for the show months in advance, so it’s very exciting for us to see it all preparing to launch.”
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