Senior Collection Part 1

This past week was spring break. Spring break for junior year, which obviously means one thing: it's time to start on my senior collection. Thinking about senior year in such concrete terms rather than the usual abstract is a little disconcerting, but I'm trying to deal.
I've been thinking about what I wanted to do for a long time and there were a few buzz words that came to mind. Wool, of course, my favorite fabric. Abandoned buildings. Decay. Nature. I brainstormed to think how these things could all be related in a collection. Considering I'm going to spend the better part of next year on this, it's going to have to be something I care about pretty strongly. I had a chance to give life to some of my ideas in Florence last semester, with the sustainability, Appalachian themed project.
The idea I came up with relates to my growing up in NE Ohio, along the rust belt, the loss of the auto and steel industries a constant reminder. When industry left, it was as though the entire area had its feet ripped out from under it and is still to this day trying to regain its footing. There are still scars visible, in the form of huge abandoned factories. I was inspired by the decline of the man-made and the reclaiming of it by nature, but also by the working spirit that still prevails in the area, so essentially the concept that nothing made by man will last forever, but long after industries decline or move on, that spirit will remain.
A lot of silhouettes that I chose are inspired by classic workwear, a lot being lifted from the clothes women wore in the factories during WWII. There are also a lot of sheers present, in cut outs and overlays, to go along with the idea of decay and the inner workings of the buildings being exposed. I'm also planning to use pleating in a few dresses because I think it gives them a very natural look, tying into the reclamation element.
Here's a preview of what I'm working on now.