The idea for this exploration sparked after attending an estate sale in Waban, MA. Going through someone’s rooms, drawers, & closets, you can’t help but to become curious; piecing together bits & pieces of the belongings to conceptualize a narrative or in this case, a love story.

The husband, Harry, was photographer, scientist & a patented inventor & his wife, Gloria, a painter who loved gardening. Their basement was their studio; with a photo matting station in the middle of the room, a dark corner with a lightbox & easels, brushes in old coffee cans & paint splatters decorating the cement floor. In a frame next to their bed was a photo of the couple on the beach - Harry whispering something in Gloria’s ear as she laughed. They shared a towel, adorned with fresh picked flowers & a picnic basket. Their love radiated off the photo.

One of the things that drew me to this house in the first place, was a quilt shown in the listing. Quilts can be very symbolic. It's said that the first person to fall asleep under a group-made quilt, would dream of their future spouse. Double-Ring quilts are inspired by the 'gimmal ring’. The gimmal ring is two rings that are fitted together to form one. The two parts were worn separately by the engaged couple and were interlocked during the wedding ceremony representing eternal love.

I wanted to create a his and her's set, in honor of the couple that inspired me. I lined a chore coat, for the inventor Harry, with the quilt on the interior, to be worn close to his heart. To symbolize the artist Gloria, I made a reversible chore coat. I also experimented with floral imprints & natural food dyes, representing the items on Harry & Gloria's beach towel.