1. style and fashion

FASHION,
KNITWEAR AND
TEXTILE DESIGN
MA Fashion Design
MA Fashion Knitwear Design
MA Fashion and Textiles by RPT
MA Textile Design and Innovation
Yu xuan
Gan
MA Fashion
Design
Sophisticated Details and 3D Silhouette
in Women’s Occasion Wear
My project is inspired by the rose. It investigates
a fashion collection that displays a flower’s
lifetime.
Based on this inspiration, my study focuses
on women’s ready-to-wear, which is clothing
suitable for special events, such as a wedding,
formal garden party or dinner, business ball,
dance or cotillion. The audience is mainly
youthful women aged 30 to 45 who have stable
incomes and enjoy social events.
The project incorporates different textile
techniques into fashion design. Create some
special details into womenswear. Moreover,
the designs of collection are sculptural
and wearable.
ganyuxuan1986@yahoo.cn
Image: ‘The Rose’, an inspirational
and sculptural form.
By: Yuxuan Gan
Yuri
Nakamatsu
MA Fashion
Design
Beauty and Longevity in Embroidered Fashion
I am investigating into beauty and longevity
in embroidered fashion. After researching
the meaning of longevity and things that
are beloved, I have created a collection of
embroidered women’s wear fashion inspired
by natural organic shapes of Georgia O’Keeffe’s
paintings and geometric forms of Wallace
Cunningham’s architectures.
My garments are informed by the embroidery,
allowing the stitches to mould onto the body.
My aim was to apply embroidery not only for
decorative purpose, but also to integrate
it with the body and the garment design.
My customers will be able to mix these timeless
pieces with their own clothes, treasuring and
keeping them for many years.
stella_674@hotmail.com
Image: Experimenting with an
embroidered piece of chiffon georgette.
By: Yuri Nakamatsu
Nigar
Zeynep Ozdemir
MA Fashion
Design
A Friend of Mine
The concept for this collection is grounded
in primitive civilizations such as Mayans and
other indigenous cultures. I am inspired by the
sustainable elements that are fundamental to
their lifestyle with regards to their belongings,
rituals, spiritual ceremonies and the primitive
iconography that often reference animals,
numbers and decorative motifs. I used
elements of this rich visual heritage to juxtapose
with contemporary shapes and materials that
will inform most of the core collection. This is
an upcycled, unisex collection, full of playful
experiments in design, which links ethical
and sustainable fashion.
Erasmus exchange student
(Istanbul, Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University)
n.zeynep.ozdemir@gmail.com
Image: A Friend of Mine...
By: Nigar Zeynep Ozdemir
Shwetha
Shanthakumar
MA Fashion
Design
The Metamorphosis of Waste Towards
Eco-Driven Fashion
With extensive focus on ethics, climate change
and environmental impact, this concept is
aimed at reinvention – of materials and how
we use them, of the value of waste, of both the
role of the designer and the individual wearer.
Translating into a sustainable women’s wear
collection, focusing on the use of two and threedimensional structures, this concept explores
the joy of uniqueness – a stark contrast away
from mass production and towards individual
celebration, with materials being the
driving force.
Giving breath and life to things redundant and
discarded, end-of-roll waste and manufacturing
off-cuts are transformed, reworked and
renewed, and leftovers are repurposed to
become valuable and desirable. Incorporating
a kitsch-collage of posters from Indian cinema,
this collection focuses on using origami and
patchwork to inspire a range of structured,
edgy and wearable pieces, for the young,
eclectic, eco-aware consumer.
This concept began as a thought, a moment of
possible madness, and my mind worked overtime
to fathom how I might reuse and re-energize
scraps. This project follows a personal perspective
– establishing my own fashion label - but one that
has potential relevance for future change and,
for vision about the way we approach design –
by instinct, by restriction or by purpose.
callmeshwe@gmail.com
Image: Illustration – Metamorphosis
of waste towards eco-driven fashion.
By: Shwetha Shanthakumar
Sze Sin (Glori)
Tsui
MA Fashion
Design
An investigation into creating fashion
in an eco-friendly, long lasting and
multifunctional way
“The past isn’t dead. It isn’t even past.”
William Faulkner
Every old garment contains some memories
of people who wear it; they hold the tears,
laughter, smiles…they hold the past and
a piece of the lifetime of their owner.
My work is about a collection of memories.
The aim of this project is to create innovative,
sustainable fashion with transformable
elements. This collection is inspired by the
unique Cubist perspective of multiple views
of an object. By combining waste fabric and
transformable design details to disassembled,
used garments, recreated in a new form, the
memories within the pieces will be given
a second life.
gloritsui@gmail.com
Image: Illustration of the
upcycled shoulder piece.
By: Sze Sin (Glori) Tsui
LI-HUA
WANG
MA Fashion
Design
My MA study is inspired by both the physical
nature of floral forms and the different
meanings attributed traditionally, to the
giving and receiving of flowers.
In creating my collection for young women
I have been inspired by the use of this covert
language to communicate and interpret
locked away, secret emotions and sentiments
such as jealousy, faith and unrequited love.
Within my collection emphasis is placed upon
exciting and unique combinations of colour,
silhouette and surface pattern. These are
developed through experimentation with
a range of modern and traditional technologies
including digital print, multi-head and hand
embroidery, and appliqué to create an
exciting, accessible and uniquely feminine
design concept.
aisle510@gmail.com
Image by Li-Hua Wang.
Disheng
Wu
MA Fashion
Design
A Menswear Collection for the Chinese Market
Inspired by British Style and Humour
My menswear collection is aimed at the young
professional Chinese consumer who aspires
to wear garments that express ‘British style’
and humour.
This collection is inspired by old British comedy
films and icons including Charlie Chaplin,
Norman Wisdom, Laurel and Hardy and their
contemporaries such as Lee Evans. Using
classic British tailoring techniques and fabrics
my collection comprises of a range of tailored
garments with classic detailing but hold
garment proportions inspired by the clothing
of British comedians in classic films.
I have developed a range of printed linings
incorporating traditional Chinese symbols and
colours to counterbalance the muted tones
within the pure wool fabric range selected
for the main tailored pieces.
(Awarded PG Diploma)
wudisheng1987@gmail.com
Shu
Zhang
MA Fashion
Design
An Investigation into the Combination
of Fashion Fabrics and Sculptural Shapes
and Forms
My work investigates the manipulation of
materials from two-dimensional surfaces to
complex three-dimensional forms inspired
by contemporary architecture. Using curved
elements from architecture, I aim to enhance
the dimensional sense of materials, enrich my
design aesthetic and create different visual
effects for my customers through expressive
techniques. The conceptual garments include
dramatic sculptural details which are suitable
for celebrities and exhibitions.
My garments combine the technique of padding
and creative cutting in conjunction with textile
processes, focusing on monochromatic colour
and bleaching, to realise the idea of exploiting
2D materials into innovative 3D forms.
These pieces challenge the conventional
notions of female body enhancement,
by placing emphasis on the shoulders,
hips and back. This approach reflects
a philosophy that uses materials to form
sculptural volumes around the human body.
zhangshu_bift@yahoo.cn
Image: Sculptural space around
the human body design.
By: Shu Zhang
Amy
Baker
MA FASHION
KNITWEAR DESIGN
Street-Luxe
Inspired by my time spent in Tokyo on the Paul
Smith Scholarship, I have developed a sport-luxe
concept of luxury women’s knitwear enthused
by sportswear and men’s streetwear. I aim to
challenge traditional preconceptions of knitwear
through process and materials, combining
luxury with an urban aesthetic.
Architecture and graffiti, the kimono, hip-hop
and the eclectic styles of Harajuku, combined
with research into trend, urban culture and
aesthetic in the UK have formed the basis
of the East and West fusion that underpins
my concept.
Significant contextual references have been
the work of streetwear brand ‘A Bathing Ape’,
the knitwear of Louise Goldin and Jil Sander
as well as Paul Smith’s ‘A cycle Through
London’ collection.
Creating a simultaneous link between fabric
and garment design, drawing has acted as a
vehicle to explore shape, colour, composition
and proportion. Knitted and printed fabrics
contrast subtlety with vibrancy, opacity with
transparency and reflection. Inspired by the
shape and construction of the kimono, basic
garment shapes incorporate details such as
hoods, pockets and drawstrings to emulate
an urban streetwear aesthetic.
amybaker2806@hotmail.com
Illustration by Amy Baker.
Yong–Jin
Kim
MA FASHION
KNITWEAR DESIGN
Contrastive reflection for new silhouettes
I am inspired by the movement and structure
of muscles within the human body. I have
created a collection of fabrics which have
been influenced by the twists, folds and
3-Dimensional shapes which I have observed.
Knitted cords have been used to create plaits
and knots; these have been applied to woven
fabrics by threading through laser cut holes.
My investigation into combining knitted and
woven fabrics aims to explore contrasting
fabric qualities. I have tried to make distinctive
pieces of timeless knitwear and create designs
which highlight volume and drape within the
silhouette. I have found that when knitted
fabrics are combined with other materials
a greater variety of silhouettes and styles
can be achieved.
irie.yj@gmail.com
Image by Yong–Jin Kim.
Katie
Purslow
MA FASHION
KNITWEAR DESIGN
Treasuring Imperfections: sustainability in
contemporary and customisable knitwear
My concept of treasuring imperfections within
clothing interacts with the wearer, encouraging
customisation and decorative mending
to prolong interest in one garment, as an
alternative to increasing the need for landfills.
A timeless collection, using key pieces which
encompass various styles achieved through
easy manipulation, will enable the collection
to survive through generations and passing
trends. Subtly marrying 1940s values and
mending techniques with contemporary
elements to create a desirable and
altogether sustainable collection.
Untreated wool is sourced locally, utilising
natural dyeing processes and seamless knitting
on established machinery to minimise waste.
The new ‘must haves’ are made to last and
together we can slow down fashion.
katiepurslow@hotmail.com
Image: Treasuring Imperfections: sustainability
in contemporary and customisable knitwear.
By: Katie Purslow
Jane
Taylor
MA FASHION
KNITWEAR DESIGN
Knitting Shadows
Through this MA, I have explored the
relationship between design, pattern cutting
and knit construction, to develop an engineered
system of garment making, in which the
emphasis is on the processes and technologies
used. Motivated by the current move towards
‘zero waste’ garment construction and ‘whole
garment knit technology’, I have developed a
design methodology through which I create
garments from one flat piece of fabric.
Each piece comes off the machine as a
complete garment, no waste, which the wearer
can construct and deconstruct, appreciating
both the 2D and the 3D.
Taking inspiration from Rei Kawakubo, who
‘devotes the same attention to the form of the
garment when it is lying flat as when it is worn’.
The garment silhouettes are developed through
the knit process and inspired by the Japanese
aesthetic, Wabi-Sabi, which is ‘a beauty of
things imperfect, impermanent and
incomplete, modest and humble and
things unconventional.’
janemtaylor5@me.com
Image: Photography by Hilary Shedel
PANJAPOL
USAVALAPNIRUNDON
MA FASHION
KNITWEAR DESIGN
Met·a·mor·pho·sis
This research is an experimentation of
combining old crafts with modern technique.
It examines the balance between masculinity
and femininity, by changing the role of men
through introducing more traditionally feminine
fabrics such as lace, and incorporating lace
into menswear. I am interested in exploring
this transformation, and have developed
a transformative knitwear garment that
changes from a rabbit (a symbol of femininity)
into masculine trousers.
panjapol@live.com
Image: Transforming bunny legging.
By: Panjapol Usavalapnirundon
Samantha
Barker
MA Fashion
and Textiles (RPT)
A Responsive and Interactive look at Skin
in its ‘Real’ and ‘Perfect’ State
Intrigue in the impact of the aesthetic ‘visual’
image has exposed me to themes such as
havoc, the ideal, contrast, synthetic and the
natural. By combining both construction and
image development, the research has taken on
a conceptual focus in creating a ‘second skin’.
The initial question driving the project was
defined by social interaction and, while this
still has importance, it is the shape, form and
texture and their reaction to the female form,
both mannequin and real that has precedence.
The relationship between the textile and image
investigations has led to the development of
inter-relating imagery with a focus on capturing
the moods of surface textures responding to the
environments in which the images have been
styled on the female form.
As a conceptual stylist, this collaborative
practice has invited me to consider how
clothing, make-up and adornments can act
as a second protective form to our real skin
and natural state. The reasoning for this is
my fascination with the act of concealing
and revealing, particularly its variation across
cultures and trends.
Placements and collaborative projects as an
artist and journalist have supported this ‘story
telling’ in the quest to uncover conceptual
meaning behind my project.
sammy-winter@hotmail.co.uk
Image: Epidermis: Protective Form
By: Styling and woven textile by Samantha
Barker. Photography appears courtesy of
Tom Martin, 2011. Model: Rebecca Sampson.
Kayleigh
Dyche
MA Fashion
and Textiles (RPT)
Exploration into the Manipulation of the
Human Anatomy
My aim was to challenge our traditional
conception of style and beauty, and to develop
an advanced level of creative pattern cutting
through extensive experimentation. I am
exploring every aspect of the female form
through pattern cutting, to further develop
my creative handwriting. I am studying
female form and emphasising feminine
curves, focusing my designs, technical skills
and portfolio on my chosen career path.
I am inspired by the beautiful, elegant shapes
formed by the muscles of the human anatomy,
more than the slim un-natural silhouettes that
we see in today’s fashion-conscious world.
In particular the works of Leonardo da Vinci
and Jacques Fabian deeply inspire me. I love
the intensity and beauty of each layer that
builds who and what we are. My aim was
to apply this complexity to my own more
modern designs.
My work combines sharp, tailored cutting with
a fashion-forward appearance, creating an
innovative and directional look. In addition
to this I am creating my own avant-garde textile
prints, using off-beat colour combinations.
My designs are unique and have a distinctive
image suitable for my clients.
gert86@hotmail.co.uk
Image by Kayleigh Dyche.
Laura
Harvey
MA Fashion
and Textiles (RPT)
ReIngarment
My work investigates the feasibility of reusing
previously owned fabric in bespoke / luxury
clothing production, thus implementing the
environmentally ethical concept of ‘upcycling’ using waste materials to produce products
of a higher value.
I explore the practical boundaries of
deconstructing and re-cutting a garment,
as well as the relevance of traditional
hand-tailoring techniques when applied
to contemporary and creatively cut clothing.
I use print to discuss my design inspiration Victorian London - dealing with themes
such as morbidity and the effects of the
industrial revolution.
laura_e_harvey@hotmail.co.uk
Image: Deconstructed jacket by Laura Harvey;
Clockwork Wing, Dani Allen, 2011.
Amy
Johns
MA Fashion
and Textiles (RPT)
ReSearch
My MA is as much about my experience and
personal development as it is a final body of
work. Throughout this process I worked for
UK brand Joules as a contracted menswear
researcher for new ranges and licensing
collaborations. I also gained first-hand
experience of working for a senior menswear
designer within a global forecasting company,
Stylesight. This has helped me gain a thorough
understanding of the menswear market and
the potential for future growth and
improvement. My academic and aesthetic
approach to menswear has developed and
given me a much greater insight into the
menswear sector.
As an RPT student, the first year has had a
huge influence on my work and myself as a
practitioner. My knowledge and understanding
has developed from commercial to conceptual.
My final report identified and analysed several
concepts that have influenced my research,
alongside an ideas-based publication that
represents my interest and innovative design for
menswear. I strongly believe that this body of
work will facilitate the next stage of my career
and enable me to fulfil my ambitions.
a.johns10@yahoo.co.uk
Image: Illustration practice.
By: Amy Johns
Sue
Turton
MA Fashion
and Textiles (RPT)
My research explores laser technology and its
impact on creating unique craft products which
retain a handmade element.
I have drawn inspiration from, and attempted
to preserve knowledge of, traditional Moroccan
and Indian craft skills. I have used this
inspiration and understanding alongside laser
cutting and engraving practices to create a
series of products. Through experimentation
with interaction between design skills
and technology, I have often created the
unexpected, which in turn has created
unique and authentic pieces.
My research also recognises current trends
which emphasise the demand for the authentic
and handmade, and in response to this, I am
exploring the market demand and its relevance
to my products.
sue.turton@ntu.ac.uk
Image: Detail of laser cut and
hand-sewn leather wall hanging.
By: Sue Turton
Allison
Waite
MA Fashion
and Textiles (RPT)
An Exploration of Knitted Structure:
How far can knitting machine technology
innovate and influence the design process?
This body of work is an investigation of knitting
machine technology mediated by intuitive
craft skill-based practice. It seeks to examine
the relationship between how the tools inspire
the design process in the context of Fashion
Knitwear design.
The process is not an end in itself, but a
reflective discourse between the analysis
of low technology (handmade) and digital
technology (machine) production methods.
This exploration has led to knitted fashion
products that cannot be instantly defined as
hand or machine made and as such they exist
in a place that combines the reasoning and
processes of old and new technologies.
b.ally70@yahoo.co.uk
Image: Gilet, back view.
By: Allison Waite
Hannah
Wroe
MA Fashion
and Textiles (RPT)
A historic based study which questions
the relationship between skill and learning
within fashion
My work investigates pattern cutting and
construction techniques found within the
period 1935-1955 and considers its relevance
and value for contemporary designers and
students within today’s global fashion market.
This period offers a rich source of couture
cutting and traditional hand craft-making
techniques. By uncovering the potential
learning which can be found within historical
garments through in-depth analysis and
reconstruction, my work offers an assessable
way for this to be translated into current
fashion design practice.
My work explores the historical context of
these garments; reflecting on what social,
technological, economic and political influences
have shaped this period within fashion design.
Specifically I have looked at the evolution of the
‘summer dress’ and how the home dressmaker
interpreted fashion between 1935 and 1955.
contact@hannahwroe.com
Image: North American smocking
By: Hannah Wroe
Katy
Aston
MA Textile Design
and Innovation
Fison-Zair: Form Follows Fun
Working under the brand Fison-Zair, I specialise
in printed textiles and laser cut designs for
interiors. I explore innovative surface qualities
that span a range of applications and create
bespoke designs for up-cycled furniture.
Both my grandfathers, Fison and Isaiah,
were craftsmen in Sheffield steel works and
were always cleverly resourceful, making and
repairing everyday things. I aim to continue
their legacy through my work for Fison-Zair.
My designs aim to engage and challenge the
viewer. I strive to combine functionality with
fun to create a dialogue between object and
user. My work explores the creative potential
of cutting-edge technologies whilst pushing
the boundaries of traditional craft techniques.
Designs encompass a range of materials from
linen to leather to wood and combine digital
and screen printing processes, laser cutting,
and marquetry techniques. Colour and
process have become the prime focus
of my design theory.
I have been fortunate to travel and to explore
new places and cultures which has enabled me
to view my home and once familiar objects with
a refreshing new perspective. This has inspired
me to explore how people interact with objects,
and to question how design can become
emotionally durable in order to increase
longevity.
fison-zair@katy-aston.com
Paul Smith Scholarship
Image: Printed textiles and
laser cut wood and leather.
By: Katy Aston
Nyasha
Chivaura
MA Textile Design
and Innovation
My project has been inspired by the revival
in vintage style and textile remnants from the
past. My designs have been configured around
organic forms found in nature, samples in the
Nottingham Lace Archive at NTU and geometric
patterns from the 1960s. My MA research has
allowed me to capture interesting historical
elements, translating them into a contemporary
textile collection.
My work seeks to integrate traditional and
contemporary processes such as hand and
jacquard weaving, screen and digital printing
and laser cutting. Using these methods has
enabled me to design a commercial collection
of ‘new vintage’ interior textiles, including
abstract patterned and textured weaves,
prints and laser cut wallpapers.
(Awarded PG Certificate)
nchivaura@yahoo.com
Xiaoyue
Cui
MA Textile Design
and Innovation
Innovation - The classic, the traditional
and the contemporary
My inspiration comes in many ways, from
classic chinoiserie, such as the blue and white
porcelain vase or the traditional snuff box.
To contemporary designs, like Tord Boontje’s
laser cut works and other more modern
interior products.
By looking at these pieces, I am able to explore
traditional form and surface pattern, and then
by using modern technology I can generate
new ways of making them. Combining classic
designs with contemporary processes, I have
tried to merge embroidery and hand knitting
with acrylic to create contemporary decorative
artworks that maintain a strong Chinese
character.
My patterns are generated from traditional
Chinese surface designs that use elements
such as the cloud, water and the phoenix
motifs. I have re-presented these patterns
in a contemporary context by using methods
of abstraction, selection and deformation.
In some of these works, I have combined
embroidery with acrylic. In other works I
have merged embroidery techniques with
hand weaving and laser cutting. These
processes offer new ways to address traditional
techniques, breathing new life into old designs,
enabling me to design a wide range of
decorative products, from vases to table
cloths and runners.
xiaoyue.cui.87@gmail.com
Image: Embroidery with glass.
By: Xiaoyue Cui
Luisa
Fernanda Gil
MA Textile Design
and Innovation
Textile structures
My project explores the potential application
and functionality of geometric tessellated
structures within wearable textiles. It engages
with fibre qualities, fabric construction and
manipulation techniques to alter surface
behavior and reveal new properties.
My work seeks to improve lifestyle and well
being, providing healing, comfort and flexibility
of movement to enhance functionality
alongside the aesthetic value of textiles.
Working with digital embroidery, I have
explored stitch density and fabric manipulation
techniques to create three-dimensional
structures. Recently I have interpreted these
designs through specialist yarns with healing
properties, such as chitosan, to construct fabrics
on the jacquard power loom.
Image: ‘Structured embroidery’.
By: Luisa Fernanda Gil
luisafernandagil@hotmail.com
Randi
Grønnerød Huseby
MA Textile Design
and Innovation
Organic Structures
My MA project is an ongoing process of
exploring textile design by combining and
responding to the properties of different
materials. The designs are inspired by
structures, mostly shelters built using found
materials. This source of inspiration informs
both the process in which I work and the
visual design research.
My aim is to design textiles utilising a
combination of processes – digital printing,
embroidery and manipulation -considering
and also highlighting the natural irregularities
of the material rather than striving to create
uniformity in the compositions.
randi.huseby@mac.com
Image: Felted Quilt.
By: Randi Grønnerød Huseby
Jung
Hoon Kim
MA Textile Design
and Innovation
Traditional and Contemporary approaches
to Scarf Design
When I first saw a Hermes scarf in 2007
it made such an impression on me that my
heart throbbed. The scarf was rich and delicate
and the whole experience made me want to
further my design towards this area.
My designs are colourful and complex and
express a sense of nobility and legend with
a contemporary slant.
Since the advent of digital textile printing there
is almost no restriction in textile design in terms
of use of scale, repeat and numbers of colours.
The development of digital print has led
designers to print new and novel images which
are impossible to print with traditional bulk
textile printing methods.
Image: Horseman (90 x 90cm, silk twill).
By: Jung Hoon Kim
I believe that colourful, layered digitally printed
designs are competitive in a high level market
because there are fewer stages of production
compared to conventional printing methods.
jungkimjungkim@gmail.com
Antonia
Müller
MA Textile Design
and Innovation
“Disappearing/Reappearing”
“You cannot step twice into the same river.”
(Heraclitus)
Inspired by 1920s city symphony film,
expressionist art forms and my own visual
research carried out during prolonged stays
in cities such as Tokyo and Berlin, my work
revolves around ideas such as movement,
constant change and impermanence
enforced by the momentum of urban living.
“Places are not frozen in time,
they are processes.” (Massey:1994)
The technical focus of my work lies in the aim
to combine knitted fabrics with a variety of
discharge and print processes exploiting the
potential of black yarns in order to create
knitted garments. The result is a conceptually
driven, highly technical project which explores
innovative approaches to construction
and extraction.
i.am.antonia@hotmail.de
Image: “Study”
By: Antonia Müller
Srinad
Pirohakul
MA Textile Design
and Innovation
Weird but Cute
Due to my passion in childrenswear and textile
design, I would like to create a new aesthetic
2D / 3D textile for childrens’ clothes in order
to generate my own brand. Childrenswear is
becoming more unique since the fashion trend
is moving towards children, not only adults.
As this industry is growing continuously,
I decide to create textile design for
childrenswear for my MA project.
My project focuses on image, pattern, and
colour. My main theme is “Quirky kitsch”. I am
intended to use the inspiration from nature (eg.
animals, plants) and combine this with stylised
drawings of people. The aim is to create a
new aesthetic - mixing real-life / photographic
images with fancy world. Scale, colour, pattern
and photography are explored in this project.
A range of techniques is utilised - digital
printing, multi-head embroidery, hand
embroidery and applique. These are integrated
to introduce more complex 2D / 3D surface
to the fabric.
jin_chan21@hotmail.com
Image: 3D collar with pieces of print.
By: Srinad Pirohakul
Amber
Mae-Ling Thomas
MA Textile Design
and Innovation
Encapsulating Woven Structure
In my work I have focused on combining
traditional hand-woven structures with
contemporary glass processing methods,
to generate new composite fabrics and
cast glass pieces. This has resulted in a range
of innovative techniques that are truly unique
to produce pieces that freeze and prolong the
life of these fragile textiles and also encompass
both their beauty and presence.
This has developed in three primary directions:
– The creation of lightweight hand woven
fabrics using fine wire yarns that play with
light and shadow.
– The encapsulation of woven wire inside solid
blocks of glass that capture the movement
and softness of the textiles.
– The merging together of wire mesh with
fused glass; combining the fluidity of fabric
with solid forms.
Through the combination of these materials
and the juxtaposition of their inherent qualities
I am able to fabricate contemporary, bespoke
and handmade products. These artworks have
applications in architectural contexts for interior
spaces, across commercial, retail and residential
settings. In the future I hope to work closely
with clients, to create novel and personalised
solutions, designing and producing similar
concepts that operate within these different
interior spaces.
ambermlthomas@hotmail.co.uk
Image: Hand woven structures combined
with glass processing techniques.
By: Amber Mae-Ling Thomas
CHERYL
YOUNG
MA Textile Design
and Innovation
‘Good things come to those that wait’
My project investigates the relationship
between fashion and the use of digitally printed
textiles with the 1940s to 1950s influencing
my design. The collection is based on the
idea of an ‘All Year Round Dress’, inspired by
the classic shapes and simple detailing of
World War Two fashion. A collection of digital
prints is presented on a timeless silhouette
- emphasising the concept of slow fashion,
allowing the shape to be constant but the
nature of the design to change. I am fascinated
by form, colour and reflection found in vintage
glassware and I have used Arthur Johnsons
Auction Centre as a continuing source of
inspiration for the development of my prints.
cherylyoung47@hotmail.com
Image by Cheryl Young
Xue
Jiang
MA Textile Design
and Innovation
An investigation into Vintage western
Garment and Ethnic Chinese costume
My current theme investigates Vintage Western
Garments and Ethnic Chinese Costume and
how they can be combined to create innovative
fashion fabrics / textile samples and trims.
Through investigations into historical garments
I have been inspired to create a collection of
textiles with a unique blend of patterns and
colour from both cultures. My work combines
digital embroidery, digital print and laser cutting
I have chosen to work with silk, silk floss, tulle,
lace to develop my design into a contemporary
range of fashion textiles and trims.
jiangxue_1211@163.com
Image: Describe time by heart.
By: Xue Jiang
Ying
Zhou
MA Textile Design
and Innovation
3D Floral Textiles
My project investigates the use of three
dimensional textiles within the bridal and
occasion wear designer level market. My work
combines traditional Chinese paper craft,
embroidery and laser cutting to produce
a range of lavishly embellished fabrics inspired
by flowers and there spiritual meaning.
Inspired by elaborate floral garden displays,
observing how colours and patterns combine
in the natural world and studying the gradients
of colour on the petals, structure and texture
of flowers I have taken ideas for three
dimensional floral designs.
Using a palette incorporating shades of ivory,
oyster, vanilla, shell pink, pale gold’s and white
enhances the three dimensional forms within
the textiles.
zhouying2002@hotmail.com
Image: Detail of textile sample.
By: Ying Zhou