How many of us can look at something that is nothing, and see its full potential? Cotton is used to make the softest tees, silk used for a dress that lays on your curves and flows in the wind so gracefully, and yarn, turned into a cozy sweater that you wanna wrap yourself into on Sunday mornings. Looking at these materials and seeing what they could be is one thing, having the courage to innovate them into something more, that’s what gets my attention.
The Murdock Collection was founded in 2018 and officially launched in 2019. The brand is mostly crochet, with elements of fabric to tie it all together. Anisha’s designs show how basic materials can be manipulated into something extraordinary. The overall warm, while still refreshing, styling of the pieces and imagery used to capture the true essence of Murdock aligns perfectly with the prime component that inspired the designers collection, yarn.
When I came across Anisha's Instagram, I was obviously obsessed. I enjoy clothes that are innovative, yet functional. Often times functionality gets lost when designers are trying to stay out of the box. While I enjoy that element of the art as well, I still want to actually wear the pieces and not look like I stole something from the MET fashion exhibit. The piece that initially caught my attention was the Denim Blue Crochet Hoodie. I had never seen anything like it before, I mean it was genius, and the best part? It’s unisex.
Fashion has many facets, and one that is getting much more screen time than previous years are unisex garments. “I want people to feel fearless when they are wearing my clothing.” Genderless clothing definitely takes on the term fearless. Anisha’s goal to create this feeling of not caring about norms are not far from what mainstream fashion brands have been bringing to fashion week for the past three years. Many designers have begun working towards creating a brand that emphasizes the idea that you can wear whatever you want to wear, much like Murdock. I believe its all about how you do it that takes it to a level where you can’t be touched. Showcasing a man in a dress, or a woman in a suit is elementary. Giving them the freedom to create their own narrative by just wearing clothes, is art.
Seeing fashion as an art form allows a creative to express their ideas in ways that don’t fit in the standard categories of the industry. Allowing inspiration to come from anywhere and the acknowledgment that you can turn nothing into something is the branch of a great idea. “As soon as I think of anything or see anything, I draw it out. It could be on a napkin or receipt paper. I have been walking down the street and been like I have to write this down now because it is in my head, I can see it!”
While crocheting itself isn’t is new, Murdocks interpretation of crochet allows us to see it in new light. Let’s be honest, when someone says they crochet clothes you automatically think, sweaters or something that is quite frankly unwearable. And since we are being honest, we can admit, that isn’t going to cut it in the big leagues. “This isn’t your grandmas sweater” and it’s also not a shop on Etsy. Murdock is creating its own category in fashion by transforming our perception of crochet and knits, to modern day streetwear that exemplifies luxury.
“This isn’t your grandmas sweater”
Social Issues In Fashion
Now more than ever, social issues have made their way down the runway and have been the center of a lot of big name designers collections. They have dedicated time, energy and money to support causes that align with the Black Live Matter movement, LGBTQ+ rights, and much more. Some may believe that fashion folk need to stay out of politics, others would argue that the voice of fashion leaders are some of the most important because they hold such big weight within the industry.
When discussing how fashion can provoke change, Anisha told us the steps she was taking with her own business. With every purchase of a Melanin Scrunchie, sold at $13 a piece, proceeds are made to the Bail Project to help bail protesters out for practicing their first amendment right. “I would be wrong, I would be wrong to have a business and a platform and not advocate for it (social injustices).” She believes that the lack of support on these issues from people who have platforms, especially if they are black, should be an indication of the lack of support that they have for their people. “How do you expect people to support you, and you don’t support your people?”.
With all the talk of how to provoke change, we agreed that yes, posting to social media is nice and it is a way to use your platform, but it takes more. With the knowledge that some big brands support causes because it is the trendy thing to do, we hope to see a day that fighting for social injustice is more than a fad and becomes less of a fight. “Show inclusivity, show diversity, and continue to do those things because these are the people that support you.”
Black women were once exiled from the high fashion community. This never hindered us. Magazines like Ebony and Jett created a voice for black people who were interested in a life of luxury and wanted nice things. They opened doors for women of color to lead in this industry amongst the white women who so desperately desired to have that something special that the black girls just had. When asked how it feels to be a black woman in fashion, there could only be one word to describe it, “Powerful”. You can hear the passion in Anisha’s voice as she speaks on how much her role in this industry means to her. “I have the power as a black woman to encourage change…A lot of the stigmas where people are afraid to do certain things within fashion, especially within a culture? Yeah I’m breaking all those. I’m knocking all that down.” As a black woman who is only just now granted the opportunity of making another young creatives voice heard, My heart is so full knowing that women of like backgrounds are dedicated to making waves and paths so that our successors don’t have to fight the same fights, and injustices that we did. With hopes that our names may one day ring bells and make history as did our predecessors, we are willing to use the voices we do have to make room in this industry for young women like ourselves.
"Black women are on top right now, people are envying us!"
A question that I will always ask a fashion enthusiast: What is the purpose of fashion? It begs the answer. "Fashion is a feeling, lack of fashion is when there is no emotion." Fashion takes on the role of art without trying. We wake up in the morning and we decide 'I want to wear a skirt today because I'm feeling flirty'. The ability to translate clothes into feeling is the ability to create art. Anisha's personal style exemplifies this theory. When we tried to find a name for it we became blank. "There is no code". Often times personal style is hard to define when you are constantly seeking inspiration. She described how some days she wants to dress in menswear and wear oversized cozy garments while other days she wants to embrace her feminine side.
While the conversation I had with the designer was consequential, and allowed me to fall in love with the passion that the dedicated artist has, I wanted to get more personal. We talked about manufactures, growing a business, the purpose of fashion, Pinterest reigning supreme, and how personal style is kind of impossible to define. Not to mention, one of favorite brands of the moment, Bottega of course, and the best season to get dressed in. (Whats your answer, and why is it Fall?)
Learning to crochet at six years old, you probably don't have the idea that this will be a major element in your creative journey. Not to mention the brand is the designers namesake, the key components were there before she knew what to do with them. Predestined for greatness, Murdock Collection continues to grow and push the narrative in fashion. Impacting the spaces around her, and effortlessly allowing art and passion to be the driving force of her creativity, we can't wait to see how far she goes.
You can expect to see a lot more mens pieces, that are obviously encouraged to be worn by everyone, and more personal artwork incorporating into the brand too! Be sure to follow the designer on instagram to keep up with all of her upcoming projects!
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