In 2015 whilst I was studying for a Masters, I started freelancing for a British fashion startup, Flock by Nature. Now three years later, despite having moved to Spain, I’m happy to have started working on the next round of designs. Here’s a sneak peek of my design sketches…
Last year I left Bristol and moved to Pamplona, Spain. The experience has reminded me that nothing happens overnight. Building a new life, learning Spanish and finding work…it all requires patience. This is what I’ve been doing to keep myself busy and feed my creativity…
I completed my Masters in Design at the beginning of this year, January 2017, and graduated with distinction. My final project was a series of 6 knitted wall panels and they are currently on display at Bath Spa University. The panels provide an alternative way of decorating a wall that adds pattern and texture, as well as improving acoustics.
Co-design allows the user to contribute towards the design and/or making process. Emergent technologies, such as 3D printing and laser cutting, provide the opportunity for customisation. Handcrafts also lend themselves towards user interaction, and techniques like hand knitting, crochet and macramé are considered therapeutic and can be done at home by anyone. When the user becomes involved it develops a sense of attachment, satisfaction and can slow down the process of consumption through participation in craft.
A shift in user attitude is needed, moving away from product disposal and towards longevity. The key to product durability is about developing an emotional attachment to something, which creates a desire to care for and repair, rather than dispose of and replace. Designers need to change the way they work, considering the end use of products to allow for a circular system to develop, that extends the life cycle of materials through remaking and reusing.
Handcraft around the world has been affected by the production of cheap mass produced goods and resulting in a homogeneous marketplace. Balance between mass production and craft, the fast and slow, is needed in order to move towards a more sustainable future. I want to embrace new technologies, but not forget traditional craft techniques; combining and contrasting the old and the new for innovative results.
Today we know very little about the majority of things we buy. By providing a narrative about the provenance of a product and sharing information with a transparent and authentic approach, we can tell the story of the supply chain and the people, places and materials involved.
Connecting the designer and maker through ethical relationships, produces the best results in terms of design aesthetics and social impacts.
Consumption and sustainability do not naturally work together, but I am questioning how I can use my design skills and knowledge to produce products that address human emotional needs, in order to achieve a long-term sustainable balance. I would like to design products that people connect with and to build a relationship between designer, maker and user.
3D printing is a hot topic at the moment. It’s a technology that has been around for over 20 years, but it is only until recently that it has been used in fashion and textiles. Bradley Rothenberg is an architect who is currently working on developing 3D printed textiles…
Since I am interested in transitioning from fashion to interiors, during Wool Week I went to the Campaign for Wool Interiors Collection in London, to see how textile designers are currently working with wool for home products. I was particularly inspired by Caron Penney’s woven tapestry, Naomi Paul’s crochet lighting, Ptolemy Mann’s Ikat sofa and Kit Kemp’s digitally embroidered upholstery fabric.
During London Design Festival I went to a talk about material innovation in fashion. The panel discussion focused on new developments in 3D printing for fashion. It was held at the Pringle store where they showcased their recent material innovation; combining knitwear with 3D printing
I have recently been thinking about taking my work into a more sculptural direction and feel that lighting could be a way of doing this. At London Design Festival (LDF) I was inspired by a few designers; Louise Tucker, Salsabeel Amin, Mutton & Flamingo, Valentina Caretta, Melanie Porter and Fanatic House.
Homeware design, brand values and ethics of a few of my favourite designers at LDF; Quinoa Paris, Pepe Heykoop, Otago, Slow Design, Krasznai, Leah Jensen.
Textiles for interiors at LDF: Lucy Simpson, Zuzunaga, Donna Wilson, Beldi Rugs, Pappelina, Kenana & Yurta.
This time last year I was in Peru. I went for a month on a mission to turn my knitted homeware collection into reality! My ambitions were high and the trip got off to a rocky start when my yarn was stollen…
It’s quite hard to capture the characteristics of a person in a sketch. I did these so long ago (2008) and don’t know the models, so I’ve no idea if I did a good job, but I think they’re quite convincing!
Here are a few more life drawings that I recently found in a sketchbook I did in 2008/09. It reminds me of how much I like drawing with charcoal. I need to do this more.
Today I looked under my bed and pulled out a dusty portfolio. Inside I found a sketchbook of life drawings I did in New York back in 2008/09.
Back in 2001 I climbed up a tower in Tabor (Czech Republic) and looked out over the city. I can’t remember which tower, but I do remember the view. These are the sketches and paintings I did following that trip,…
Looking back through one of my old sketchbooks, I’m realising that I had quite an obsession with rooftops! These line drawings were done in the Czech Republic and are just a few of the sketches I found.
Sketches from my trip to Peru last June…
These quick drawings were done whilst travelling around Eastern Europe in 2001. I love to sketch when I travel and sometimes it captures a place better than a photo. These sketches were done in Prague (Czech Republic), Krakow/Cracow (Poland), Pécs and Budapest (Hungary).
On my way to the yoga retreat in Spain, I stopped off in Sevilla for a night. I spent the day wandering the streets, eating tapas, drinking cerveza and taking photos…
I did my Yoga Teacher Training at a beautiful retreat centre in the south of Spain. A wonderful environment to fully immerse yourself and learn. The 3 week intense course covered the history and philosophy of yoga, anatomy, learning the Sankrit names of over 100 poses, their correct alignment and how to assist students.
Having just completed my 200 hours of training, I am now certified to teach yoga. I have practiced yoga for years and I’m really excited to share it with other people. This is not the end of my design work, this is just the beginning of a new path that will continue alongside my work as a knitwear designer. Why have one career when you can have two?!
A stop motion video and recipe of a quinoa salad inspired by my trip to Peru.
This is a watercolour sketch I did when I was in Lima, sitting underneath palm trees on the cliff tops between Barranco and Miraflores.
Capturing the colours on the streets of Barranco, Lima.
Capturing the colours on the streets of Barranco, Lima.
Capturing the colours on the streets of Barranco, Lima.
Barranco is a small neighbourhood in Lima that feels surprisingly tranquil in comparison to the rest of the city. At the beginning of the 20th century it was a summer resort for rich Peruvians, but as the city grew and…
…I came across a beautiful collection of chullos, an Andian style hat with earflaps… They were incredibly fine that it was hard to believe they had been hand knitted. The complex geographic patterns used multiple colours and they were beautifully finished with a tiny scalloped edge.