Arts Thread

For my project Summer Escape, I wanted to make a difference through my work. I was inspired by my solo travelling over the summer and being able to have a unique perspective that I wanted to explore visually through textiles. It is focused on childrenswear and making a sensory collection for which I used puff printing, CAD embroidery, appliqué and digital printing. I wanted to explore a part of fashion that is currently being developed. It was so important to me to really focus deeply to find some new ways to create clothing that is sensory friendly for all. My work is heavily focused around sensory aspects of children's clothing and accessories; I am particularly interested in creating an easier life for those who are neurodivergent and have sensory needs. In a world where there are more and more children struggling with clothing that is uncomfortable, it is time for a change within the textiles and fashion industry for this particular market. I used CAD embroidery to showcase my motifs to depict a journey to each of the places and the particular areas that stood out to me on my travels, such as stars, buildings and the food I ate. One element of the project was building confidence through travel and one of the designs incorporated getting a badge at the end of each day so that the children could see how far they had come. This was inspired by the Scouts and Brownies. I used digital print to collage designs through some of my mark making pieces that I had made earlier on within the project. I used appliqué to be able to create the fun and playful look that a child would be interested in wearing. I created areas that were customisable as a way to include fidgets, but also as a way to map out what they are doing for the day as neurodivergent people generally like routines. Should the routine change, they would be able to reflect that on their t-shirt. This work for me felt so important and the research for this is ongoing as I have only found small brands who have started working on sensory friendly childrenswear. My ideas come from primary research and reflect what I would have wanted to wear as a child.

This Project was inspired from my solo summer trip backpacking around Europe. The concept for the project was designing using maps and architecture from the cities I visited, recorded through a childlike lens making it feel fun and playful whilst using sensory fabric textures for young children. Architecture is used as a recurring motif invoking the sense of wonder created when travelling in a new city especially when seen through a child’s eyes. The processes utilised in the creation of this collection are Machine knitting, CAD embroidery and Digital print. Different fabric textures are utilised to support the sensory needs.