THIRD YEAR:
FORGOTTEN, FOUND
FORGOTTEN, FOUND explores vintage florals, linking to the concept of nostalgia with an emphasis on the hand crafted and traditional, researching into the relationship between ‘Traditional Craftsmanship’ and the ‘Quality and Longevity of design’. This trans seasonal 2019 interiors collection enables me to use a diverse colour palette with a combination of muted, heritage colours with elements of moodier tones and chartreuse highlights. My final interior collection pays homage to pivotal design movements from the past (such as the Art Deco and Art Nouveau eras ) and reminisces memories of the vintage garden. It offers an array of patterns and textures through use of durable cottons, subtle linens and soft velvets. Hand printed wallpapers add elements of the handcrafted, giving the collection a sense of authenticity and originality. A fusion of rustic block printing and contemporary abstract painting creates a whole new feel, bringing together the old with the new.
JOULES BRIEF
THROUGH THE COTTAGE GARDEN
Through the cottage garden was my take on the 'The English Country Garden' competition brief set by the company Joules. It explores the typical cottage garden with a focus on heritage, family values and a sense of quirkiness. I intended for a vintage feel to come across through handmade processes like lino print and combining this with bold painterly elements. Also experimenting with Knit, embroidery and paper quilling to add tactility and hand crafted qualities to the collection. This evolved into a stylized and graphical collection which transformed my initial visual research into more commercial designs for use as waterproof fabrics for raincoats and wellies but also potential use as tea towels.
SECOND YEAR:
COASTAL NOSTALGIA
My main second year project is for a Spring/Summer 2018 interior collection. The concept incorporates the nostalgia of the coast through the exploration of people’s memories from old collected photographs and postcards both from my own family as well as from second hand and vintage shops. The colour palette is fresh, forward looking and exciting with calming blues and greys with splashes of corals and oranges but with a vintage feel. I wanted to be a bit bolder in the project, pushing my design ideas to create a more contemporary final collection that incorporates mark making, detailed drawing and photographic collage- offering a new perspective on the traditional toile de jouy style.
LIVE PROJECT
NEXUS
My next project was a live group project for the interior company Romo. The brief was to create an exciting and innovative spring/summer 2018 collection with a forward looking and enduring colour palette. Our collection is light and fresh, with use of pink and blue tones with hints of lime green. My prints have a rustic feel to them and combine handmade lino print processes with digital print. I wanted a warmth to come through to complement country interiors. Inspiration came from dried flowers and double exposed photographs of greenhouses. Our team was highly commended after presenting our work to the company and I was offered a two week placement at the design studio.
FIRST YEAR:
EXPOSED GARDEN
My original concept explored the rustic garden, taking inspiration from an old childhood photograph of me and my brother in the garden in front of the greenhouse, I thought this linked in nicely with the trend union images which reflected utility and function- with rustic, autumnal colours. I was also inspired by old photographs of my grandparents garden from around the 1970s- I loved the faded colours and the spontaneity of the images. I experimented with double exposures and cyanotypes and editing these, playing around with scale and inverting to create different effects. I also took a lot of spontaneous photos in my garden like those of my grandad, capturing shadows of plants as well as quick, blurred close ups of flowers. The project became brighter and bolder as it evolved and my final screen printed collection reflects this.