Exuvia: Traces of Sin
Molly Dutfield
‘Exuvia – Traces of Sin’ is a love letter to the illusion of safety – a study in how we wrap ourselves in softness, structure, and symbolism in the hope that it might hold us together. Each piece is crafted through deeply personal, tactile processes. Together, they are landmarks along the journey of my life – things I could never say in words.
Everything you see is born entirely of my hands: a hand-crocheted oversized puffer, trailing with swollen, handmade faux fur; a leather garment painted with a story of broken love, where each brushstroke was unplanned – instinctive – guiding the direction of the piece as I worked. A textile made from liquid latex, tattooed midway through its creation. And finally, a confession, scripted into the latex – a raw testimony, laying my soul bare. The tattoo-style illustrations trace the body with symbols of the past – a visible archive of wounds, memories, and survival.
To me, these garments are armour, skin, and offering. This collection asks what it means to feel safe – and whether safety is something real, or simply something we construct to comfort ourselves. It’s not about hiding – it’s about confronting what we try to cover.
This is my offering: exposed, imperfect, and entirely mine.
I am a designer who creates through feeling – using emotion and memory as the foundation for each piece I design. With a background in fine art, I approach fashion as a way to build immersive, symbolic worlds where my narratives come to life; invitations to step into my world. My practice is deeply personal, and I take pride in crafting everything by hand, specialising in crochet and illustration. With strong skills in CLO3D and Procreate, I use digital design as an extension of my creative process.
