Words: Marianne Astrid Close // Photos: Eina
Scrunchies, rosettes and skull caps are a few of Monique Davis’s signature pieces, made from thoughtfully selected mohair and natural fibres.
On Sunday 21 June, Monique will bring her practice to Suki Studio for hands-on rosette and scrunchie workshops, with all materials provided.
“I never really had a creative outlet, so Eina was a step into something that was completely my own,” she says.
“Crochet has been a way for me to connect with the women in my life, and the women of the generations before me,” she says.
“I have vivid memories of crocheting with my grandmother. She would teach me and my brother. We would be doing these intricate repetitive motions and getting her to check it.
“There is so much history intertwined with the practice and knowledge to be passed down. It’s a really beautiful way to connect with your community.”
What began as a personal creative outlet has grown into a broader fashion practice, connecting Monique with a community of other young creatives. Monique is in her first year of studying a Bachelor of Creative Arts (Fashion) at Flinders and TAFE, where she is learning the technical skills to take her handmade pieces further.
“The campuses are sort of merged, so I’ll go to theoretical classes at Flinders and do the practical garment construction work at TAFE,” she explains.
“At the moment we’re learning how to make a block, which is a foundational pattern that is used as a template to create other garments, so it has to be perfect. There are some really necessary core skills involved in this course. I’m there four days a week, 9am to 3pm, so there’s this feeling of all being in it together.
“Fashion has opened me up to a world I didn’t realise existed. It gave me a community in Adelaide that I wouldn’t have found otherwise. I’ve made some really good friends.”
As Monique develops her garment construction skills, her pieces are slowly becoming more ambitious.
“I had no idea what I was doing in the beginning, but as soon as I learned how to make raglan necklines and sleeves, something just clicked into place and I understood how to make clothes,” she says.
“Slow hands over machines” is more than a mantra about process – it’s also a response to digital fatigue.
“Human-made things have become a novelty in this era of AI and excessive mass production, and because of their imperfections, you can tell something has been touched by human hands rather than perfectly made by a machine,” she explains.
“I remember being handed an iPad as a kid, and as a result, I don’t think I really knew boredom. Gen Z creatives have had to wrestle with this algorithmic addiction in order to begin the slower process of making and creating.”
Monique says, at times, crochet can feel like an act of protest.
“We are so inundated with digital information and it can be completely overwhelming,” she explains.
“Picking up crochet and slowing things down has allowed me the space to be bored, which as a digital native, is a necessary ingredient for creativity.
“Learning how to crochet has helped me reclaim a part of myself away from these digital spaces. It encouraged me to slow down, stop overstimulating and just be alone with my thoughts, which for me has been really healthy.”
When faced with frustration and roadblocks, Monique breaks things up into smaller steps.
“Sometimes stepping away from a project can help, doing a little more research on YouTube, or just accepting that a project isn’t going to be what I originally set out to do. I’ve turned so many projects into a completely different piece when it wasn’t working for me, and the outcome can be surprising,” she says.
“Breaking things up into smaller steps, coming at it from a different angle, or even returning to the yarn itself can really reinvigorate inspiration. All of a sudden, that drive will be there again and I’ll be back in my flow.”
When she’s not crocheting, Monique is also known as the face behind hit vintage resale store Shy Online, which she has modelled for since its inception in 2024.
“Modelling for Shy Online has given me a deep appreciation for some of these clothes, and the masters that create them. Holding the pieces up close and wearing them, I really get to see the skill involved,” she says.
“Shy Online has grown exponentially since they first started, and it feels crazy to be wearing the same clothes that are pulled by stylists for the celebrity icons of our generation.”
While Monique is a natural in the modelling space, her focus remains on fashion production.
“I’m not really chasing a modelling career. I prefer to be on the back end, just slowly creating with my hands,” she says.
“Crochet and knitwear will always be central to what I create, because I enjoy the process so much.”
Eina Crochet workshop: Sunday 21 June. Rose session 12pm-2pm. Scrunchie session 2:30pm-4:30pm // Suki Studio, 2/43A Addison Road, Warradale 5046
