Rachel Martini is an artist and designer who formats her work around the basis of
collage. Developing collections around collage to convey a literal yet obscure view of
her life memories and experiences. The concept of clothing designed and made to be
worn or interacted with by anyone.
Clothing that ignites a sense of happiness through her sense of memory yet still
recognizable for viewers to relate to. Rachel develops her fabrics around the idea of
playfulness and memory with the use of vibrant color and developed digital prints
sourced from her photos or drawings. Her work maintains a level of flatness that is
continuous; it is represented from the beginning stages in her initial drawings to the
way she flat patterns then drapes and to its final form as clothing or an object.
In Rachel’s work, her main form of reference is herself and her own life. Her work aims
to maintain a level of humor and playfulness as well as a balance of seriousness in
relation to obscured memories. Throughout her process, Rachel assembles her work
around the basis of collage to gather specific thoughts and ideas she is trying to
convey through her concept. Her formal choices relate to the outcome of her work
because they maintain a continuous thread. Instead of looking to only outside sources
and materials, she often uses her own sense of memory or written texts as forms of
reference.
Rachel wants the wearer to feel a sense of comfort in memory, while also allowing the
audience or viewer to feel the same. Often looking at photos from the past of her
mother, a working professional to grasp inspiration on how she chose to dress while
commuting to and from work. The concept of what is the difference between home
clothing and clothing one wears to work. Martini’s work has been featured in the 2019
Uniqlo x SAIC campaign.
Rachel Martini is a designer born and raised in New Jersey. Inspired by the intersecting
of her own playful childhood memories along with the reflection of what it means to
become an “adult”. Research heavily developed through the use of collage, in
combination with reflecting on the concept of workwear and its involvement in family
households.
Rachel has previously worked with NYC based designer Proenza Schouler, who’s
design and textile development team mentored her on their defined form of
craftsmanship and attention to detail with a sense of refined ease when developing
collections for the brand. She has also worked with other creative entities such as Lou
Dallas a womenswear design based in Brooklyn, NY, and briefly at Anne Fontaine, a
designer who has a store location in downtown Chicago, IL.
