Selshamour ~ Hide + Seam

We spoke to designer Mona Cordes about the mythical worlds that shaped her MA graduate collection and challenges of creating during a global pandemic

London-based designer Mona Cordes brings a vivid, narrative-driven approach to fashion textiles, fusing bold prints with fantastical storytelling. Originally from a small town in Germany, she relocated to the UK five years ago and quickly enmeshed herself in the capital’s eclectic fashion landscape. Her theatrical and playful aesthetic draws on her early fascination with colour, vintage culture, and character dressing.

After completing her BA in Fashion Textiles at Middlesex University, Cordes pursued an MA in Fashion Design at Kingston University, where she refined her print specialism. Her graduate collection, Selshamour ~ Hide + Seam, reimagines Scandinavian mythology through a contemporary lens, transforming elemental forces and supernatural beings into intricate, digitally printed textiles.

Since graduating, Cordes has joined Not Just A Label’s retail collective and was one of twenty emerging designers chosen by SwatchOn as part of its Future of Fabric contest. Alongside her design practice, she has been working as a freelance photographer and stylist, balancing craft, concept, and ethics across her creative output.

We caught up with Cordes to discuss her creative evolution, the mythological worlds behind her graduate collection, and the power of fashion as both rebellion and self-expression.

When we first spoke, you mentioned you’ve been drawn to fashion from a young age. How did your early experiences shape your design approach today?

I grew up in a small town in Germany, and from about 15, I started experimenting with colourful, eclectic outfits. People would often look at me strangely, but I quickly learned not to care. That was the start of when I decided to always embrace my individuality. Travelling and vintage shopping also helped me discover new aesthetics and learn how to tell stories through clothing. That early sense of freedom and playfulness still shapes my approach today.



The pandemic has proven challenging for many creatives globally. How has your creative practice been impacted?

When the pandemic hit, I had to move from hands-on screen printing to digital processes. It was a challenge, as I’ve always loved the tactile side of making, but it also opened entirely new creative possibilities. Returning to Germany to finish my MA collection allowed me to shoot in a location that resonated deeply with the themes of the work, giving it a personal and atmospheric touch.

What’s the story behind Selshamour ~ Hide + Seam your MA graduate collection?

This collection draws on Scandinavian myths and supernatural beings. I wanted to explore the hidden and mysterious sides of the underworld and reimagine them through a modern, wearable lens. The four core elements became my guiding forces for colour, pattern, and print development.

Each mythological figure — trolls, demons, fairies, and Logi, the fire spirit — was reinterpreted as a print motif. One piece features the text: ‘Undercover activists, trees erupt, sky sinks, sun burns, wings fly, oceans ride wild, species create, superpowers emerge.’ It’s a sort of poetic manifesto for the collection.

The first part of the title ‘Selsh’ of the collection was inspired by the Icelandic folklore tale, ‘Selshamurinn’, which about seals who shed their skins at night to dance — a theme that mirrors the Scottish Selkie myth. I see fashion in much the same way: we use clothing to protect, enhance, and transform ourselves, to both hide and reveal different identities. The ‘amour’ part of the title reflects my love for those mythic, transformative narratives.

In addition to honouring mythical tales, your collections also endeavour to engage with pressing political and ethical issues. How does that manifest in your practice?

I try to stay very conscious of the world around me. Although digital printing presents its own ethical challenges, I’m careful about materials and production choices, and I believe the fashion industry must strive to do better. My MA collection, for example, invites people to reconnect with nature — not only physically but spiritually — and to remember the stories the earth holds.

My BA collection, Circus Infinity, explored Brexit, rebellion, and individuality through bold colour and print. One piece features a sad queen in blue, surrounded by yellow flowers — a quiet nod to the EU and the emotional tension of that political moment.



Now that you’ve completed your MA course, what can we expect next from you?

I’m focusing on expanding my online shop and collaborating with a London retail space connected to Boy London. I’ll soon be joining a print studio to produce new screen-printed pieces, with a potential mini collection for London Fashion Week. Alongside that, I plan to continue working freelance as a designer, printmaker, photographer, and stylist. Ultimately, I want to merge creativity, ethics, and social awareness in everything I create — that’s what keeps me inspired.