If we delve into the true sense of the word 'indie', what we really are saying is independent. No hip/cool associations. No style associations really. The essence of the word is independent and that's that. Spork Fashion highlighted the work of Gazebo Textiles, run by Ricki Lee Moler who lives in Pennsylvania. Without meaning to cause any offense to the designer, the website is a little on the basic side. Nothing flashy (quite literally...zero flash content). No background music. No minimal backgrounds with simple fonts (the favoured format of new fashion designer websites...). No slideshows which don't allow you save the images. No slightly poncy or quote worthy 'philosophy/mission statement'. No 'fashiony' photographs that might obscure the clothes. It’s all honest and plain, letting Moler’s hand dying, fabric painting and batik techniques speak for themselves. I am sort of ashamed at just how swayed and instantly impressed I am by swish websites or fantastic campaign imagery when really, at the end of the day, it’s the clothes that have to do the talking.

However, even looking at Gazebo’s images, some of you might be thinking ‘What sort of freaky tea has Susie been drinking?’ as in brutal honesty, some of the pieces can come off looking a little ‘hippyish’? In the season of all things painterly, delicate, floaty and just a little bit whimsical though, with the right styling, these pieces, though pretty in their own right, would look a lot more ‘Susie-ified’ once my own wardrobe has been incorporated. What I’m honing in on though is the unique nature of each garment in that the dye effects are more organic as opposed to the high street dip dye offerings (of which there will be many judging from the magazine high street supplements...). What I’m really saying is that I need to be looking beyond the cache of cool that often new designers swathe themselves with because sometimes it can yield pleasantly surprising results.