Fay Coulter
All work

Très Bien Ensemble

2026, senior capstone collection, in progress

This collection is inspired by my mother’s lullaby songbook and translates emotional memory into paintings. Combining my art with fashion, it expresses the beauty of a mother’s care and the transition into independence through avant-garde design, mixing playful moments of childhood with powerful femininity. The collection is still in progress and will be shown at the ASU FIDM fashion show.

The process

A glimpse into my current design process. These works are still in development as I explore silhouette, proportion, construction, and textile techniques, and how ideas evolve from initial concepts into finished garments.

01

Research

Interview

I started by interviewing my mother about her lullaby songbook and her pregnancy with me.

Painting

Paintings made while listening to the lullabies
Detail

Then I played all of the songs over the interview and let myself paint freely. These paintings later became my prints.

02

Preliminary collages

I cut my paintings into 50 collages for preliminary sketches, then tried the strongest on a half-scale form.

Collage draped on a half-scale form

03

Color story from painting

Each color comes from one of the paintings, and each painting from a song: The Sparrow, Michelle, Yellow Submarine, Blackbird, and Till There Was You.

Colors pulled from one of the paintings

04

Materials

Chiffon printed with my art, cotton poplin, crinoline, and sew-through boning.

My painting, ready to print on chiffon

05

The looks

Five looks, each named for a song or a memory. Each one moves from collage to toile, and Look 1 is already finished.

Look 1, "I Will"

This dress resembles my mother before me. I named it after the song “I Will,” which my mother described as a promise to love me always.

  1. Toile on the form
  2. Toile, back
  3. Finished, front
  4. Finished, back

Look 2, Cocoon

From something my mother told me: “Being pregnant with you was the closest we ever were, you and I in this cocoon together.” It resembles a pregnant woman, in the most beautiful way.

  1. Sketch
  2. Collage
  3. Toile

Look 3, Michelle

This dress balances soft and comforting with sharp and exaggerated. The darts follow the natural lines of a woman’s body. It reminds me most of the song “Michelle.”

  1. Collage
  2. Toile
  3. Toile, side

Look 4, The Sparrow

Inspired by a lullaby lyric about choosing to be a sparrow rather than a snail: to be free of earthly limitations. Strong structure and a pointed bust give her that character of no limits.

  1. Collage
  2. Toile
  3. Toile, side

Look 5, Blackbird

Inspired by the song “Blackbird,” this dress reflects the strength of the woman my mother shaped me to become. Each line grows bolder, each curve more sure, ending in a long tail like a powerful blackbird.

  1. Collage
  2. Toile
  3. Toile, side

06

Toile lineup

All five toiles together, with my dyed fabric swatches. To be continued at the ASU FIDM fashion show.

Dyed fabric swatches