2018 Fashion and Sustainability Forum

Join the conversation and let’s consider how we can change the future for the better. Don’t wait for someone else to solve the problem – respond to the challenge and become the expert.

This event is open to staff and students of Winchester School of Art, University of Southampton and selected guests and visitors. Tickets are free and the event is all day, so drop in to see one speaker, or stay all day. Availability of seating may be limited at some of the talks.

‘There are three things we touch upon every day that greatly impact the world around us: fuel (energy), food, and fashion. The first two are now wholeheartedly studied and worked upon. It is now fashion’s turn to inform and dazzle us with what is possible, to provide the moral imperative to change every aspect of producing and purchasing our second skin.’ (Paul Hawken)

The MA Fashion Design and Textile Design Interim Exhibition opens on the same day, showcasing our MA students’ work in progress, highlighting non-waste, zero-waste pattern cutting and sustainable design.

Agenda for the day:

11.00 – Start of the forum

11.05 – Julian Payne, Creative Director of De La Rue – and designer of the Jane Austen bank note! Talking about cash.

11.45 – Sarah Klymkiw, educator, researcher and campaigner from TRAID – Can We Fix Our Reationship with Clothes?

12.30 – Zoe Olivia John, lecturer, researcher and co-founder of Engage by Design, presenting her Strategies for Sustainable Fashion and Textile Design.

13.15 – Lunch

14.15 – Sarah Hellen, menswear designer, lecturer and researcher. Talking about her collaborations with local, independent, sustainable businesses in Wales.

15.00 – Katie Jones, knitwear designer mixing playful aesthetics with serious ethics. Talking about the two sides of sustainable fashion that relate to her brand.

15.45 – Catherine Weetman, Director of Re-think Solutions, and author of A Circular Economy Handbook for Business and Supply Chains. Talking about fast fashion and the circular economy.

16.30 – Kate Langham, lecturer and researcher, and formally Creative Director of Interface, recognised as one of the most sustainable businesses worldwide.. Talking about Interface’s global rebranding project and the development of Mission Zero.

17.15 – Charty Durrant, ex fashion editor of Vogue, The Sunday Times, and Fashion Consultant and Ethical Fashion Expert, ending the day with a call to arms, offering some groundbreaking new solutions for fashioning the future.

18.00 – 20.00 Drinks, networking and Private View for the MA Interim Exhibition. All welcome.

#wsa_sustainabilityforum

Spinexpo, Paris 2018

Woven and Knitted textile design students all report having a truly inspirational and engaging experience at Spinexpo, Paris. Presenting their work, networking and supporting the Spinexpo team were just few things the students experienced. Here’s an edited selection of what the student’s thought.

Contributions from Amy Halley, Emily Johnson, Amy Osgood, Amber Davis and Aimee Dye

    

Spinexpo Paris, known for featuring cutting edge technologies and having the highest technical expertise, was a great way for us to exhibit our work professionally, understand how a show of this scale works and to see how designers work with spinners to showcase yarns and their versatility. It was also an extremely valuable experience to speak to different companies including yarn producers and garment manufacturers. For example, from Wanziman Hong Kong Limited we learnt about an interesting new technology which imitates woven patterns into knitted fabric to create a unique material which has qualities of both knit and weave.

Yarn suppliers also exhibited new technologies, combinations of fibres and innovations including eco-friendly products, tape yarns, metallic textures, woollen yarns and paper qualities; the sheer volume of possibilities was eye opening.

   

Each stand was exciting and enticing, each seller had many potential buyers viewing their sample racks. It is perhaps easiest to envisage the buyers as children visiting a sweet shop for the first time; completely animated and engrossed in the products.

The Spinexpo team were extremely kind and encouraging to us. They made us feel a part of the family and become involved in every aspect of the show. A most wonderful experience, which has been invaluable.

London Transport Museum: Weaving Futures In The Studio

Between now and February 2017, London Transport Musuem are hosting  Weaving Futures In The Studio, part of their year-long public programme of events, and situated in the ‘pop-up’ designer’s Studio integrated into LTM’s temporary Designology exhibition.  It is a three-month focus on digital jacquard woven textile design and moquette concepts, exploring process and making, and is curated in partnership with research and design industry experts Philippa Brock and Samuel Plant Dempsey.

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Weaving Futures explores the importance and potential of woven textiles to the London Transport System and features a state of the art TC2 digital jacquard loom. The idea is to actively explore how good design makes life in London better, through residencies and participatory workshops. The work does not exist currently and as the exhibition progresses this will be made and then displayed. It also examines the process of designing for and production of woven textiles.

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Each week there are different weave designers, researchers, artists and industry designers resident in the studio, with each resident responding to the same design brief, relating to data and transport. The residents will be working with Studio weavers, Rosie Green and Hanna Vinlöf–Nylen, to realise their final design on the digital loom. Outcomes and final designs will be displayed in the Studio and shared during the Museum’s Late Debate and Friday Late events.

Residents: Assemble, Beatwoven, Philippa Brock, Camira, Central Saint Martins, BA Textile students, Samuel Dempsey, Linda Florence, Gainsborough Weaving Company, Eleanor Pritchard, Rare Thread (aka Kirsty McDougall and Laura Miles), Josephine Ortega, Ismini Samanidou, Studio Houndstooth, Takram & Priti Veja

Drop into London Transport Museum’s pop-up Studio for a unique behind the scenes chance to experience contemporary transport design innovation through a year-long programme of events. The studio is open to the general public and one entry ticket gets you in for a year. The programme is part of this exciting Designology exhibition and includes:

·      one-day workshops with London’s best known transport designers

·      design residencies, briefs and challenges

·      intellectual late debates, workshops and talks

The workshop programme includes among others:

25, 26, 30 January 2017 – Research Collaboration with Brock, Dempsey and Veja – Designers Philippa Brock, Samuel Plant Dempsey & Dr. Priti Veja will be coming together in the studio to work collaboratively on a brief, combining their expertise in design thinking, with Brock on 3D woven jacquard and haptics, Dempsey on product design and 3D printing, and Veja on woven e-textiles. Find out how electronics can be constructed in woven structures to make integrated soft circuits, wearable technology and smart textiles. philippabrock.com I design-plant.co.uk I weft-lab.com

9,10 February 2017 – Weaving Music with BeatWovenŸ  – Meet award winning, avant-garde textiles label BeatWovenÂź and find out how they use songs and sounds to visualise and orchestrate pattern formations in textile design, particularly through the technique of weaving. Watch live as they work with our weavers to interpret a brief on the Digital Loom. beatwoven.co.uk

17, 18 February – Upholster and Accessorise with Eleanor Pritchard – Meet hands-on London weave studio; Eleanor Pritchard (Texprint alumna), designers and manufactures of upholstery and interior accessories. Find out about using geometrics and graphic reversible patterns to create clean, contemporary design and observe their approach to our transport brief. eleanorpritchard.com

For more information go to http://www.ltmuseum.co.uk

Calling Weavers! The Cockpit Arts / Clothworkers Foundation Award 2016

About the Award:

Applications are invited for the Cockpit Arts / The Clothworkers Foundation Awards 2016. The Awards are only open to weavers who have graduated within the last 5 years.  

The Awards aim to assist emerging weavers each year to set up in business by providing studio space and business support provided by Cockpit Arts as well as shared use of looms. The selection panel, including the acclaimed ikat weaver and designer Mary Restieaux, and a representative of The Clothworkers Foundation, will be looking for up to three individuals who demonstrate entrepreneurial spirit as well as creative excellence and craft skills. The Award contributes to the cost of a place at Cockpit for one year from July 2016 and will include a space in a shared studio equipped with 3 looms, Leclerc and Louet, and the following benefits:

  • Studio space and use of looms within the creative community of Cockpit Arts at Deptford, London, SE8 with access to office facilities and resource centre.
  • Business and professional development services including on-site coaching, a personalised development plan, workshops and seminars.
  • A range of selling and promotional opportunities including Cockpit Arts Open Studios selling events twice a year.
  • Award worth 2,000 with the remaining 2,000 fee being provided by the Award winners, payable on a monthly basis.

How to Apply:

  •  Please request a Clothworkers Award application pack from dana@cockpitarts.com
  •  Deadline for receipt of applications is 5pm Friday 27 May 2016
  •  Interviews with shortlisted applicants will be held on Monday 6 June 2016
  •  Winners will be expected to take part in our Awardee Induction Day on Wednesday 13 July and move into Cockpit Arts Deptford no later than 1 September 2016

Assistant Woven Textiles Designer at Joules

ASSISTANT WOVEN TEXTILES DESIGNER

Department Design

Location Market Harborough

Salary Competitive

About the role

We have a new and exciting opportunity for an Assistant Woven Textiles Designer to join our celebrated Print Design team at Joules here at our Head Office in beautiful Market Harborough, Leicestershire.

The successful candidate will be learning and developing a full understanding of the Woven design process for all genders.

Key responsibilities will include:-

  • Keeping up to date on competitor analysis.
  • Starting to create and develop some designs for your areas.
  • Preparing for all print meetings and final sign offs.
  • Learning to use PLM – our database system, so that you can prepare prints for production.

The successful candidate will have:-

  • Good Fabric knowledge, ideally in woven textile design with an understanding of yarn weights and fabric structures advantageous.
  • A good eye for detail, presentation and colour.
  • The ability to identify key trends across all genders.
  • Proficiency in a weave design software, (Texcheck, Pointcarre, Easy Weave or an alternative weave package) along with Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, Microsoft Word and Excel.
  • Excellent organisation and communication skills.
  • A basic understanding of print processes.

Ideally you will be a recent graduate with a minimum of a 2:1 in a relevant subject ie Textile Design/Print Design/Print Design/Graphics Design) and you will already have basic skills in Photoshop and Illustrator.

If this sounds like the right opportunity for you then please apply now as we are looking to appoint this role ASAP. Please attach a copy of your portfolio with your CV.

To apply go here

Featuring the work of Woven Textiles student Becky Emery

Final year Woven Textiles student Becky Emery shares some of work with us. Her graduate collection explores human impact on the environment and the ecosystem. Her research focuses on the great pacific garbage patch and deforestation of Indonesian rainforest for palm oil plantations – both have an affect on the environment and endanger species.

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Becky is currently creating a woven fabrics and trimmings collection for the interiors market with the aim to raise awareness on the issues, as well as setting an example by recycling materials such as ropes and plastic bags within the collection.

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We look forward to seeing the complete collection in just a few weeks. Make sure to check out Becky’s work at our graduate events in London.