Interview with Matilda Herd: Knitwear in Dreamland

Matilda Herd is a young artist who graduated from the Manchester School of Art earlier this year. She harbours a love for knitted textiles, and exhibited parts of her degree show collection ‘why be me when you can be you?’ in the Norman Rea Gallery’s most recent exhibition, ‘Dreamland’. 

Due to practicalities, Matilda couldn’t display her whole collection, but assures us of its glory. It includes fully the duvet dress which was exhibited, a dress which looks like a giant pair of lips and a completely knitted prom dress, a collection of balaclavas and two handbags and a pair of shoes. Influenced by the romantic cinema of cult films, she’s occupied with the presentation of oneself, and the female gaze. I wanted to capture how women express themselves when they are alone whether that be through makeup or art. This formed the root idea that evolved and bled into the presentation of an individual online as well as in real life. 

Particularly integral to the theme of her latest collection, Matilda sees the practical benefits of online platforms as well as their drawbacks. Social media is in a way pageantry. This can make us create a sense of virtual reality through editing pictures and filters. Whilst acknowledging these dangers, social media has done its bit for her artwork. I have had lots of great feedback on my work from social media, it's a fantastic way to be part of a creative community and branch out. Her collection intimately reflects the brief for ‘Dreamland’, as it takes specific inspiration from the photography of Petra Collins and Cindy Sherman, whose dreamlike and surreal imagery Matilda hoped to invoke. 

Matilda has always been creative, but her love for knitwear and the versatility of the medium was born during her degree, when I realised all the work I was creating was involving textiles. You can make anything out of knitted textiles as long as you know the right techniques. After sitting on her ideas, she begins to consolidate them by sketching out designs, before moving onto physical experimentation. My work is very illustration-heavy so this feeds straight into my clothing designs. I then sample different materials and knitting techniques to see how I can utilise them, taking inspiration from designers or fashion trends. She hopes that her audience will pick up on her tongue-in-cheek perspective, and perhaps be inspired to create their own fun pieces. 

Matilda wants to keep creating and sharing in the immediate future. I am planning to set up my own line of clothes and accessories in the new year under the name ‘That girl has Knits’, selling handmade items online. This time with a completely different concept from her last. Her work so far is dynamic, fun, and extremely poignant in this digital age. We can’t wait to see more of it. 

Follow Matilda on Instagram @thatgirlhas_knits

Link to original: https://www.normanrea.com/blog/interview-with-matilda-herd-knitwear-in-dreamland