Arts Thread

Inspired by the 1970’s romantic floral aesthetic, my Final Major Project, 'Silken Bloom', captures the folksy styles of the Hippie era, with a contemporary approach. I wanted this collection to transport the viewer to a secret garden abundant with blooming fragrant flowers, and luxury silk fabrics draping from them. With this in mind, I have designed a collection of embroidered and embellished samples for Womenswear Resort 2023. I have chosen to design for Resort, as it has given me greater freedom to experiment with colour palettes: some designs are fresher and more youthful, while others use more earthy tones that are associated with the 1970’s. Key designers that have influenced my own research are Laura Ashley, Oscar de la Renta, Valentino and Gucci, because of the variation of floral motifs and use of luxurious silk and sheer fabrics, both of which have developed my project further.

Inspired by the imagery depicted in John Keats ‘To Autumn’ poem, this collection captures the transition from summer rosy hues into soft muted neutrals of autumn. With this in mind, I have designed a collection of embroidered samples for womenswear Autumn/Winter 2022 Couture. As a designer in our current environmental climate, sustainable choices are imperative and of great interest to me, therefore I have developed my knowledge of natural dyes throughout this project. To develop my visual research, I visited Columbia Road Flower Market to capture the last colours of the summer seasonal flowers and their transition into autumn as well as dried flowers and sun palm leaves. This allowed me to gather an extensive body of imagery to create artworks from and begin to gain inspiration for design ideas. As my project developed I began to consider design compositions for potential samples. In my opinion one of my strengths is drawing through collage as it allows me to visualise the way I could manipulate fabrics and create embellishments. When it came to developing and designing my final collection of samples I chose to incorporate a combination of several experimental and textural techniques that I had developed through market research of couture collections and masterclasses with Jessica Grady and Lisa Salama. An example of this is the three-dimensional folded sequin piece which I combined with machine couching and ribbon quilling on a naturally dyed bamboo silk fabric.

Exploring my love for beautiful interiors, I have created a series of design and concept boards that combine my love for textiles, colour and texture, with other interior design details.

As an assistant designer at The Attic Store, I am working with the Creative Director to develop new product ranges to sell as gifts, both online retail and in physical stores. I have encouraged the investment of a digital embroidery machine to the business, to further expand design and personalisation possibilities I currently work on designing embroidered motifs for different accessories such as makeup bags, pencil cases, greeting cards and more. These are some examples of my design work, we are currently selling online.

This pandemic has brought uncertainty and panic for many, and with a significant increase in mental health issues, I wanted to create a multi-sensory textile piece that could be used to support the positive well-being of the user. By being thorough in my colour exploration and research, I have a deeper understanding of the psychological reactions to colour and textures and therefore have selected a colour palette that evokes a specific memory, mood or feeling. For example, blue reminds me of my youth. Growing up in a seaside town and visiting the sea has always been a calming, serene environment for myself, almost a place to escape the noise of the real world. Colour is dynamic, and the narrative behind it has been key in my selection process and I believe these colours complement each other well and the muted tones create a tranquil and uplifting palette. The variation of densities and textural yarns used to create the final piece, could perhaps be a metaphor for an embrace with a loved one, as many of us have not been able to spend time with those who bring us joy. With sustainability at the forefront of our current environmental climate, it was important for me to consider my choices throughout this project. I pushed myself to use recycled materials, using cardboard and household items to create my own collagraph printing plates, and reusing plastic bags and scrap fabrics to hand make sensory elements.

Ocean Textures is a project that explores the naturally occurring textures within corals and seaweeds, whilst developing my technical skill in embroidered and embellished textiles. Having grown up on the south coast, I have always taken inspiration from the natural beauty found within these landscapes. I also visited the Leicester New Walk Gallery that holds a collection of corals and marine life, allowing me to gather a wider range of visual research to influence my design direction. This project is designed for a luxury fashion market and features innovative techniques including digital embroidery, ribbon quilling and hand embroidered bead work.

My initial concept for this project, was to challenge the fast fashion market by researching the viability of using natural dyes sustainably, to re-purpose and redecorate old garments and fabrics. I chose to approach this concept as a heavily research based project, with the sustainable development goals in mind, specifically number 12 (Responsible production and consumption) and 4 (Quality Education). I wanted to extend my previous knowledge of natural dyeing to understand the heritage of the craft and what affects the viability of it, whilst also focusing on the creative elements I could take further into my design development. I decided I wanted to challenge myself into combining the mixed media techniques I have previously learnt, such as embroidery, applique and bead work, with the naturally dyed patterns and colours, to create a sophisticated and educational collection. Two of the finals designs are more simplistic (The jeans and patchwork pieces), intended to inspire people to up-cycle scrap garments and fabrics into something new, using techniques and pigments from the natural world.