From a young age, Leigh has been obsessed with clothes and fashion. Dressing up in mum’s clothes, trying out new looks and styles mirrored and reworked on current trends at the time. By the time she was seventeen, Leigh had 47 cardigans carefully curated from op-shops between Auckland and Hastings. Young Leigh was confident that one day she would become a fashion designer. Today, however, while having fewer cardigans and not a fashion designer, her passion for design, pattern, texture and fashion has become somewhat of an extramarital affair.

The Avante Garde of the fashion world is what excites this artist. The mash-up of colours and patterns, unusual style combinations and the beautiful absurdity of it all. It is this that inspires Leigh to experiment with mediums and textures, searching for that elusive balance between over-the-top and not quite enough. These works are her love letter to both fashion and design, where art and fashion become one.

Dear Fashion, I love you. Leigh Tawharu.