Author Archives: Caitlin Hinshelwood

Fashion Graduate Christine Xu selected by Not Just A Label’s ‘Black Sheep’

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Current Fashion Design graduate Christine Xu has been featured in Not Just A Label’s ‘Black Sheep’ feature, focussing on ‘the designers revolutionising the industry and forging their own path’. 

NJAL Black Sheep - Christine Xu

Christine has just completed her final year at WSA producing Menswear Collection ‘Back to Future’, a futuristic, hybrid collection of tailored sportswear using Kraftwerk as her muse. Techno music energised the whole collection, inspiring her fabric combinations, digital prints and silhouettes.

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Christine is starting the Menswear MA at University of Westminster this September. She also won the WSA Fashion Direction Award at the London Press show.

Christine intends to improve her own design style in fabric combination, pattern cutting and garment silhouettes on the two year MA course. “My focus and great passion is in using technical and modern  materials in order to manipulate the fabric and combine it with high quality tailoring. I feel I have a point of view and a distinctive vision for mixing sportswear and traditional tailoring.” After postgraduate study Christine hopes to realise her dream of directing her own Menswear designer brand.

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Read the full article here https://www.notjustalabel.com/designer/christine-xu

Woven Textiles Students Work featured at Spinexpo

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Final year woven textiles students were selected to showcase their woven samples at Spinexpo as part of a live project with Sophie Steller. The students produced work for two of Sophie Steller’s clients Novetex and Biella.

Dannielle Hutin was awarded a £200 prize for Novetex and Leah Ashton was awarded a £200 prize for Biella. Congratulations!
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Calling Weavers! The Cockpit Arts / Clothworkers Foundation Award 2016

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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

WSA Fashion Shows Next Tuesday 17th!

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WSA GRADUATE FASHION SHOWS 17 MAY 2016
14.00 Fashion Show 1
17.00 Fashion Show 2
18.00 After Show Drinks, Portfolio Review & Meet the Designers
Please RSVP to wsa.ftd@gmail.com
WSA Fashion Show invite 2016

Refabricate Exhibition featuring Sally Amberton

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This is the last week to catch Refabricate, the current exhibition in the WSA Gallery exploring the relationships between textiles and art and featuring the work of Printed Textile student Sally Amberton. Her involvment in the show came about from conversations at the cross-disciplinary ‘Hookers Knitters and Stitchers’ Society of which Sally is president.

Her contribution to the show includes two hand embroidered portraits and a hexagon patchwork quilt top made of cotton and paper, using the English Paper Piecing technique. Here Sally tells us a bit more about her quilt piece.
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“Nowadays quilt enthusiasts and historians learn about women’s lives by finding and investigating papers within historic quilts. Quilt makers would use scraps of paper from newspapers of the day but also any other paper could be used this way. Shopping lists, notebooks and other pieces of paper captured in quilts now provide valuable insight into women’s history. By showing the underside of a quilt top makes the fragments of paper used to piece the patchwork visable and happens to tell a story of my life too.
The underside of this patchwork reveals fragments of documents from conferences and events I organised working at the University of Oxford, pieces of hand-outs and Power Point presentations on Climate Change, I created with Sir David King, diary fragments, examples of my handwriting, documents of my application to University and process photos and designs created whilst studying at Art School are all in the mix. What might look like the boring side actually quietly places me in history and tells the story of my life.
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Quilters always want to be able to look at the back of quilts usually displayed flat against a wall and it tickles me to be at once showing the papers that one never gets to see whilst infuriatingly hiding the colourful and varied designs which which will become the front of a quilt, knowing how it will make people want to touch the work and see the hidden other side.”
The show is on until 12.05.2016  and open daily.
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Entry Level Textile Designer Post at Stephen Walters – Deadline this week!

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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

Print Design Student Rosie Franklin tells us about her internship at Tatty Devine

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Rosie Franklin, currently in her first year studying Printed Textiles, spent her Easter break interning at London based accessories company Tatty Devine as part of the production team. Rosie tells us about her inspiring and positive experience…

‘As a production team intern, I was tasked with assembling pieces for a wide range of uses, whether that was to show to potential stockists or for selling at the annual sample sale. Creating the jewellery required a high level of precision and attention to detail that I sometimes found challenging but I felt like I was constantly improving my skills throughout the whole time I was there. The company is a small business with around twenty employees and interns working in the Brick Lane-based studio, meaning it is a close knit and friendly environment. For example, while I was there I was treated to a chocolate egg hunt around the office and boiled egg decorating competition in the run up to the bank holiday weekend, as well as daily edible treats bought by my fellow employees. It was amazing to experience the real world of work but in a way that was made really fun by the others working there. I felt immediately welcomed by everyone, something that I was worried about after hearing so many work experience horror stories!

Tatty Devine Studio

Undertaking an internship over the Easter holidays was probably one of the best things I have done for many reasons. Not only did it give me a chance to experience the working environment of a small business but I also learnt a lot about my aspirations for the future (both what I want and wouldn’t want to do). As well as this, the friendships that I formed while working in close proximity with other creative people are not only good connections for the future but hearing about their experiences on both their degrees and the world of work were really interesting and inspiring. Becoming more knowledgeable about London transport was also an essential skill that I learnt. It will definitely be useful as the confidence I gained while doing this internship has made me seriously consider living in London in the future, something that I was nervous to do before, having never travelled there on my own until I started my degree. In short, it was an amazing experience and I would encourage anyone to try an internship, no matter how long or short it is: there were so many unexpected things I learnt that I never would have otherwise and I can’t wait to see what’s next.’

Woven Textiles Student Becki Glanvill at Ensci – Les Ateliers, Paris

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Becki Glanvill, currently in her second year of Woven Textile Design, chose the WSA exchange module this semester and has been studying in Paris.
Becki is at Ensci – Les Ateliers http://www.ensci.com/ working on a live project for EquipHotel, a french hotel chain. Her theme is « Les Hommes illustres » and she has chosen René Descartes. She is enjoying her time in Paris and below is an image of the kind of work she has been producing.
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Holly Fulton looking for a Studio Intern

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The Holly Fulton Studio is looking for interns to assist across both sampling and production. The candidates will experience various elements of developing high end womenswear collections.
Daily tasks will include…
  • general studio organisation
  • assisting pattern cutters with tracing and alterations
  • toiling
  • hand sewing and embellishments
  • preparing and delivering materials to our London based manufacturers
  • quality checking fabrics, prints and embroideries
  • assisting with print placements and lay plans basic studio errands
Skills required…
  • Basic knowledge of pattern cutting
  • Strong attention to detail is essential
  • Ability to work efficiently to meet deadlines
  • Hand / machine sewing
  • Applicants must have a professional attitude and operate well as part of a team.
We are looking for interns to work for 3-6 months starting immediately. To apply please send your cv and work examples along with a brief cover letter stating your availability via the form here.

Julien Macdonald Knitwear Design Internship

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Julien Macdonald is a luxury women’s fashion brand famous for its red carpet dressing.

We are currently looking to fill knit internship positions for the S/S 17 show from May to September 2016. We are looking for students with excellent knitting skills. You should have previous experience using domestic knitting machines; fully fashioning garments and be very competent and confident with a wide variety of stitches.

Essential Personal Skills
We are looking for an individual with the following personal skills and attributes:

  • Professional and enthusiastic attitude & approach;
  • Flexible and self-motivated approach with the ability to adapt to a changing environment;
  • Have the ability to operate effectively as part of a team as well as, where appropriate, on your own initiative;

Applications
We are looking for interns to work for up to 6 months to help us prepare for the show which is in late September.

If you think you’ve got what it takes please send your CV and examples of work with a brief covering letter  to Emilia Pancheri via the link here.