WSA Knitwear for Fashion Student Prize Winners at the Campaign for Wool Competition

Two Knitwear students, Zoe Lyne and Jessye Boulton won prize’s at the Campaign for Wool Student Hand Knit Competiton held at Artworkers Guild Hall in London during Wool Week.

The students responded to a competition brief created by Marie Wallin. Students were asked to design a series of fashion garments hand-knitted in 100% wool, or wool-rich, [more than 51% real wool] that displayed sculptural form using cabling and 3D knitting techniques in a palette which celebrated the colours of a British Autumn. Students were encouraged to incorporate other handcraft techniques such as crochet, macramé, tatting and felting. The brief asked for an exploration of scale as a means to create drama and complexity.

Sixteen final entries were judged during Wool Week by Marie Wallin, Bridgette Kelly of The Campaign for Wool Ltd, Wendy Barker ofKingston University and Polly Leonard, Founder and Editor of Selvedge Magazine who awarded a special prize to her overall preferred entry.

The second prize of £300 was awarded to Jessye Boulton from Winchester School of Art, another first-year undergraduate student. “Jessye’s design was a wonderful blend of multi-coloured yarns knitted into a collection bullion knots, creating a dramatic and eye-catching, almost carpet-like in its structure and very impressive as a garment.”

img_1513

Using the colours of Autumn as her starting point Jessye created a highly textured garment using Spring stitch to mimic the natural complexity of the forest floor and to celebrate the quality of the pure wool yarns she used.  Jessye secured yarn sponsorship from Cornish Organic Wool and LoveKnitting.com which enabled her to create a dense and luscious final piece.

A special award of a 3-year subscription to Selvedge Magazine was given to Zoe Lyne of Winchester School of Art. Polly Leonard, the editor of Selvedge Magazine was instantly drawn to this “dramatic design of a mass of crochet tubes worked into a very imaginative wearable neckpiece or collar.”

img_1519-1

Zoe was inspired by the notion of an organic shape engulfing the wearer for her design.  Imagining knitwear as an extension of the body Zoe constructed the garment to obscure the face with a series of sculptural tube-like forms that form the collar.

The garment was hand-knitted in natural undyed British and Merino wool specifically to subtly draw attention to the natural irregularities in the yarn. Constructing the sculptural collar in Dartmoor lambswool, supplied by Lily Warne Wool, was a nod to Zoe’s Devon heritage.

Congratulations to Jessye and Zoe!

WSA Printed Textiles alumni at Premiere Vision Paris with Texprint

Sarah Cheyne, Senior Teaching Fellow in Printed Textiles was at Premiere Vision, Paris last week researching for an upcoming Live Project for our students as well as working with Texprint, an organisation that takes 24 of the best UK graduates to Paris to show their work to an international market. Amongst the 2016 Texprint cohort was Melissa Ougham, recent graduate from Printed Textiles at WSA. Here she is on her stand, showcasing her work. She will be starting her internship in Como, Italy in just a few weeks.

img_5249

CALL FOR ENTRIES: NEW GRADUATE SHOWCASE AT HANDMADE IN BRITAIN 2016

Chelsea-16-Arts-Thread-2560x1440

This year Handmade in Britain is working again in association with ARTS THREAD to offer 6 talented new graduates the chance to exhibit their work in the fourth edition of the successful New Graduate Showcase. Designer-makers will display their work in a dedicated gallery area and will also have the opportunity to attend a specialised workshop with ARTS THREAD and Piyush Suri, aimed at preparing graduates for the show and offering invaluable business advice to support their future careers.

View the New Graduate Showcase designer-makers from Handmade in Britain 2015 on ARTS THREAD

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

To apply Simply upload 5 to 10 images of work you would wish to show at HANDMADE IN BRITAIN to your ARTS THREAD portfolio & then complete our online HANDMADE IN BRITAIN 2016 Entry Form

Location/Experience: 2015 or 2016 graduates from UK (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) art schools and colleges.

How: Upload a minimum of 5 to 10 images (Please add information on size and techniques used) to your ARTS THREAD portfolio – login or register to create a portfolio account & then complete our online HANDMADE IN BRITAIN 2016 Entry Form

Entry: Free to apply and stand cost is £300 +VAT (£360) for a 1×1 metre space within the New Graduate Showcase. Alongside your allocated gallery space, the cost includes:

  • Exclusive graduate workshop with Piyush Suri on exhibiting, costs and business advice.
  • Extensive press and publicity campaign and online event promotion in association with Arts Thread.
  • Online listing with image on Handmade in Britain website.
  • Coverage on Arts Thread and Handmade in Britain social media channels, website and blog.
  • A colour image, write up and contact details in the show magazine.
  • Complimentary tickets and private view invitations for your buyers and guests.
  • Printed and digital promotional material for distribution within your networks.
  • 24 hour security at the event.
  • Porters for set-up/break-down assistance.

Deadline for applications: August 31 2016 MIDNIGHT GMT

Selection

Handmade in Britain invites applications from designer–makers of contemporary craft, who produce their work in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and work in the following areas: fashion design & accessories, interior design & accessories, textiles, glass, jewellery, paper, furniture, stationery, metalwork, ceramics, sculpture, woodwork, prints and etchings. The organisers seek to provide a balance of craft disciplines in order to provide the visitors with a broad range of work. If your work does not reflect the above categories, please get in touch with us to discuss what you do.

Applications are assessed by Arts Thread and Handmade in Britain and assessment is based principally on the images supplied. Additional information on the application form may be used for press and publicity purposes once exhibitors have been selected.

Makers must demonstrate a clear knowledge and understanding of the making process and provenance of materials used. The maker must have applied their craft skills directly in the creation of the work exhibited. They must have also given consideration to the commercial viability of the work, both in terms of its pricing and appeal to consumers.

Visitors
Handmade at Britain is marketed to and attracts professional, international and UK consumer and trade buyers; retailers from both independent boutiques and major retail stores; museums and galleries; design, interiors and fashion industry professionals; corporate and public sector buyers and collectors; local residents; tourists; shoppers and craft/design collectors. Selected press, buyers, media and VIPs are also invited to attend our private view opening evening.

Marketing & Promotion

  • London Underground poster campaign
  • Flyer distribution in all major London venues, galleries, museums, cafes, restaurants and universities
  • Private view invitation to key contacts – including media, trade buyers and collectors
  • Media partnerships with specialist publications, local and national press
  • Advertising campaign across relevant print and digital media
  • Regular Newsletters to our 5000+ strong mailing list
  • Social media campaign to 44,000+ (Feb 2015) followers
  • Cross promotion with relevant groups and organisations

Press for Printed Textiles graduate Melissa Ougham at People of Print

Recent graduate Melissa Ougham has had her collection featured on the People of Print website – you can read the full article here

PofP6w

Design Admin Assistant Roles at Boden – Womenswear Wovens and Knitwear and Jersey

Boden is a London-based clothing company, founded in 1991 by Johnnie Boden. The company’s headquarters are in NW London.

We are looking for a brilliant Admin Assistant to provide strong administrative support to our designers in our womenswear wovens team and in our womenswear knit and jersey team.

If you have an understanding of how the fashion industry works and would enjoy working in a creative environment then this is the ideal opportunity to gain experience in a fun and dynamic team.

As well as being really well organised you’ll be confident, have strong attention to detail, be unfazed by sample management, supplier correspondence and lots of meetings….oh, and you’ll probably eat spreadsheets for breakfast!

You will ideally have a fashion degree and possibly a relevant internship under your belt.

If this sounds like you we’d love to hear from you so please apply with a CV and a few examples of your work.

Salary £19,000 per annum plus excellent benefits

Location of vacancy North West London

Position type Full Time

Closing date July 20, 2016

For Wovens more details here

For Knitwear more details here

Printed Textiles Graduate Melissa Ougham gains a place at Texprint 2016

Melissa Ougham, who has just graduated in Printed Textiles at WSA, was selected from hundreds of graduates around the UK to take part in Texprint 2016.

Melissa Ougham Texprint Stand

‘Texprint is an organisation run by industry professionals with the added support of many internationally recognised industry names.  Our aim is to select, mentor and promote the best of the UK’s newly graduated textile designers, providing an opportunity for realistic development, and a vital bridge between higher education and the real, commercial world.’

’24 TEXPRINT designers are selected each year following the rigorous interviewing of over 230 applicants submitted by British colleges and universities at both BA and MA levels. The 24 are designers who have shown outstanding skill and artistry in their chosen discipline, and who have impressed the Texprint interview panels with their creativity and desire to succeed in the professional world.  Texprint’s aim is to promote their skills to the industry, to media, and to the related organisations that can help their career launch.’

Those selected showcase their work in London before showing at PV in Paris in September. It is an amazing opportunity for new graduates to meet with exciting industry contacts and become professional designers.

Melissa has been shortlisted for a 7 week internship in Como, Italy via Texprint. Congratulations Mel!

WSA Alumni Hannah Robson graduates from the RCA

WSA Woven Textiles alumni Hannah Robson has just graduated from the Royal College of Art where she developed beautiful sculptural forms using a variety of textiles construction techniques.

Hannah Robson RCA Show 2016

Congratulations Hannah and best of luck for the future.

WSA Textile Graduates at New Designers

Selected graduates from Printed Textiles, Woven Textiles and Knitwear for Fashion will be showcasing their work at New Designers this week.

Screen Shot 2016-06-24 at 10.19.50

Opening times:

Wednesday 29 June:
– VIP & Press Preview:                3:00pm – 6:30pm
– Awards Preview Evening:         6.30pm – 9:00pm
Thursday 30 June:                   10:00am – 8:00pm
-Thursday Late:                           5:00pm – 8:00pm
Friday 01 July:                          10:00am – 6:00pm
Saturday 02 July:                     10:00am – 5:00pm

Venue:

Business Design Centre
52 Upper Street
London N1 0QH

For more details visit http://www.newdesigners.com/visiting/part1

Featuring Printed Textile Design Graduate Tongtong Wang

Tongtong Wang has recently completed the Printed Textiles pathway at WSA after joining us in Year 2 from Dalian, China. Her final collection has been much admired for it’s fun prints for Interiors. At the Degree Show she was awarded the Nancy Balfour Award for excellence.

P17

Her collection focussed on “how to enjoy life and make ourselves better”, emphasising on sports and leisure activities and healthy eating. Her collection was intended to be amusing utilising her illustrative style combined with her fun abstract patterns. She was greatly influenced by the work of two photographers Muriel Bordier and Dean Bradshaw.

P15

Tongtong hopes for a future career designing for interiors, utilising all she has learnt at WSA. Her work will be at New Designers next week alongside 15 other selected graduates from Textile Design.

P16

 

 

 

In-House Designer role at Asiatic, London

Asiatic 2016 Catalogue Cover

Asiatic are currently recruiting for the following role:

IN-HOUSE DESIGNER

We are looking for a designer to work at our London head office 4 days a week. The successful applicant will be creating designs for our own collections as well as for our clients.

This role would be suited to a Textiles Graduate with strong attention to detail, an ability to work in a broad spectrum of styles and a eye for colour. Strong Photoshop and Illustrator skills are extremely important, along with good hand drawing skills. The successful applicant will work closely with the product development team but will also need to be able to work independently.

This is a varied role and responsibilities include, but are not limited too;

  • Following design and trend briefs provided by a range of high street interior brands.
  • Creating new designs and adapting existing designs, for both the high street and the companies own collection.
  • Conducting research into current and future trends.
  • Compiling mood boards and colour stories.
  • Carrying out Comp Shops.

Essential skills and experience

  • Degree in a relevant subject, preferably textile design (Print, Weave or Surface pattern).
  • Creative flair and commercial approach to design.
  • Sensitivity to colour.
  • Strong CAD skills, Photoshop and Illustrator experience.
  • Ability to identify key trends, and interpret these in a relevant and commercial way.
  • Knowledge of high street interiors market.
  • Ability to work towards specific and varied briefs.
  • Ability to work in a fast paced environment.
  • Must be able to successfully work as part of a team and independently.
  • Strong communication skills, both verbal and written.
  • This is an entry level role but some relevant experience within a similar role or internship is required.

Hours of work: 9am to 5.30pm Monday-Thursday Location: London N4

Salary: Dependant on experience

To apply for this role please send your CV with a covering letter to justin@asiatic.co.uk