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.

Last week at PV Designs Paris

Last week we had a stand at PV Designs, part of Premiere Vision in Paris, exhibiting student designs alongside established design studios. We took a selection of second and third year work across the four pathways.

WSA Pv Design Stand

PREMIERE VISION is a textiles trade fair held twice yearly in September and in February and attracts around 60,000 visitors. The majority of these visitors are buyers from fashion companies looking for new fabrics and designs for their forthcoming collections.

There are many trend areas which show the newest fabrics and colour suggestions for the next season. The show is a very inspiring place to visit in terms of design & colour as well as offering opportunities for networking and gathering information about the industry.

PREMIERE VISION DESIGNS is a huge section of the fair where around 150 design studios from many different countries show their new collections of designs for print, weave, knit and embroidery. Buyers from thousands of companies looking for original designs visit PV Designs each season to buy artwork from the design studios exhibiting there. 

Over the 3 days the WSA Make Future stand attracted much attention from buyers around the world. A number of students sold their designs to international fashion brands and there were many comments about the inspiring and original work on display. The students that helped on the stand were able to gain an exciting insight into the industry, talking directly to clients and understanding what companies were looking for.

3rd Year Print on the Stand

Congratulations to all the students whose work was selected to be exhibited and those that sold work as well. It was a great industry experience we hope to repeat next year.

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 OrtegaIsmini 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 BeatWoven®  – Meet award winning, avant-garde textiles label BeatWoven® 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

SOPHIE STELLER LIVE PROJECT WITH SECOND YEAR KNIT & WEAVE

We are very lucky to have worked on a live project with Sophie Steller and her trend driven Knitwear Studio for second year knit & weave’s first project this semester, leading to four work placements for two knit & weave students respectively in her studio in Twickenham, London.

A little bit about Sophie Steller and her company:

‘Our London based studio is home to a team of highly talented designers who have worked on projects for clients such as SPINEXPO, Novetex Spinners, TJ Maxx, AEO, GAP, Polo Ralph Lauren, Gant, A&F, Primark Stores, Marks & Spencer, H&M and Aroma Home.

We provide a wide range of knitwear related design services including:

  • seasonal swatch collection
  • colour & trend forecasting
  • yarn development
  • marketing & branding
  • direct studio development
  • mood & product boards
  • concept fabrics’

We worked to an exciting brief set by Sophie, asking the students to approach their work in a more trend driven way. She asked the students to:

‘Develop your ability to research in a relevant, objective, and analytical way to be able to communicate your ideas with one strong, clear message.

The role of a designer is to find ways to creatively problem-solve. As a designer, whether you are designing your own collection, or working for a client you need to create desirability and suitability of your design to a consumer of some kind, and therefore whether you set the brief or the client does, you need to find the solution of creating something that someone else wants to consume.

The students were asked to:

‘Collect a range of 30-40 research images (these can be your own drawings or photographs, collage or a combination of all) of your own that observe and explore the following:

* Shapes * Textures * Colours * Atmosphere & mood * Touch & surface *

Be able to answer the following:

Why did you choose your subject and what did you found interesting and inspiring about it?

Once you went there what did you find out and observe?

Through your visual observations what did you find you liked about it and what ideas did it give to develop further?

What key elements have you identified as being important to inspire you?

From your observational research develop the following:

  • A colour palette you can work with * Textures you like * Shapes or patterns you can extract from it *
  • A mood or direction you can see it going into? Is it for menswear, womenswear or children? Is it dressy, contemporary, casual, sporty? Then develop your research into final fabrics and resolved garment or interior ideas that continue in this train of thought.’

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The students then presented their final fabrics, presentation boards, and a Powerpoint presentation at the end of the six week project to Sophie Steller, and to tutors in their subject areas, Jane Landau for Woven textiles, and Sarah Elwick, & Lisa Burn-Hunter for Knitwear. The work was generally of a very high standard overall, and Sophie was very impressed with the work produced by the students. She will select her four students for internships in due course.

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Well done to all involved. A great start to level two!

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.

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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

Winchester Degree Show opens tomorrow!

WSABA

Winchester School of Art
Park Avenue,
Winchester SO23 8DL

Private View:
Friday 10th June 18:00–20:00 (Reception 17:00–18:00)

Public Opening:
Saturday 11th June 11:00-18:00
Sunday 12th June 11:00-18:00
Monday 12th – Friday 17th June 11:00-18:00
Saturday 18th June 11:00-18:00

WSA Degree Show features student work from:
BA (Hons) Fashion and Textile Design
BA (Hons) Fashion Marketing and Management
BA (Hons) Fine Art
& BA (Hons) Graphic Arts

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

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

Entry Level Textile Designer Post at Stephen Walters – Deadline this week!

Stephen Walters are silk weavers designing and producing fabric for international luxury brands. They have built their reputation as design leaders working exclusively with fashion houses across the world. They are recruiting for the following position to join our highly regarded design team:

Entry Level Textile Designer to work within their creative design team producing CAD representations of their jacquard designs.

The design work is extremely varied and covers a broad range of fabrics from men’s neckwear to contemporary womenswear and furnishings.

They are looking for a designer with good artistic ability and drawing skills, a sensitivity to colour, a diversity of styles and attention to detail. An understanding of CAD systems would be beneficial but not essential, as full training will be given to the successful applicant.

Their design team is currently made up of trained designers from a variety of disciplines such as print, surface pattern and weave. They would like to hear from anyone who is qualified in similar areas.

Hours of work: 8am to 5pm Monday to Friday (40 hours)
Location: Sudbury, Suffolk
Salary: Depending on experience

Closing date for applications 11.05.16

Please email your CV with a covering letter to
Katherine Winterton: katherinew@stephenwalters.co.uk