Emma Jane Bloxham, Bucks New University
This was a particularly good year to see some exciting textile design at the New Designers annual showcase of graduate talent. ARTS THREAD rounds up some more of our favourites from 2010.
Here we spotted Emma Jane Bloxham’s terrific work, which earned her a first class honours degree from Bucks New University, and has application for both fashion and interiors. Emma is a mature student, who previously taught English in South East Asia for many years. Her experiences there have been a large inspiration for her work.
Surviving the terrible experience of the Tsunami, she decided to return to education and art. We loved her wonderful embroidered mirror, which is a part of her final project ‘Up Close and Personal’. Emma has also created a collection that explores the concept of contemporary fashion and its environment: the dress and the dressing room.
Kirsty Ronnie, Bucks New University
Bucks New University’s graduates never fail to deliver some great and inspiring work, and this year they were the deserved winners of the New Designer’s Best Stand Award. Also at Bucks, we loved the luxurious textures created by Kirsty Ronnie. Punched and laser cut techniques were used on animal skins to create some great effects. She has also produced some interesting padded knits and sees her pieces being used for upmarket menswear.
Joy Salvage, Bucks New University
In contrast, taking a far more sober and measured approach was Joy Salvage, who has created her collection of knits inspired by the collection of alphabet samplers in the V&A museum. She was intrigued by the intricate lettering which had been meticulously hand-embroidered by young girls since the 18th Century. Focusing on differing fonts and using a limited colour palette of yarn and some subtle embellishments, she has created a collection with a great nostalgic look.
Alexis Richards, Bath Spa University
Continuing with the nostalgic vibe, and with great commercial appeal – Alexis Richards from Bath Spa University is influenced by nature and has created a vintage feel in her fabric pieces, which have echoes of both the 1930′s and 1950′s.
Elena Muñoz Gomez-Trenor, Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design
Elena Muñoz Gomez-Trenor from Central Saint Martins is riding high at the moment after winning the Knit Prize at the recent Texprint First View showcase in London. Her innovative pieces are based on her research into “organic architecture; that of human bodies and insects”. She says, “I worked on transparencies and layers, trapping thick yarns inside thin yarns and intertwining them with bulky cables. The result was to emulate the way textures of muscles, fibres and veins merge to create an organic system”.
Elaine Fleming, Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology
Elaine Fleming’s great quirky prints have been inspired by her “idyllic childhood experience of growing up on a farm in the countryside”. A graduate of Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, Elaine explains, “My memories result in an eclectic and at times surreal mix from my childhood experience of farm life due to shifting seasons and work focus. Mundane farm items become decorative avant-garde designs – I have created interior products which are aimed at the alternative, high-end market.”
Aimee Kent, Glasgow School of Art
Aimee Kent’s work from Glasgow School of Art (GSA) caught our eye at New Designers with its vibrantly colourful spontaneity and freshness. Aimee has collaborated with award-winning fashion designer Henrietta Ludgate, designing bold and abstract Scottish Highlands-inspired textile prints for her Autumn/Winter 2010 collection.
Rebecca Louise Scott, Glasgow School of Art
Also at GSA, we also spotted Rebecca Louise Scott’s work. She has created some great fabrics for fashion, featuring laser cutting and produced some stylish visualisations to showcase her pieces. Rebecca’s inspiration came from the unlikely source of the shipping industry. She told us, “I focused in on brackets and pipes piled up in shipyards, creating interesting shapes and shadows. I worked on making this industrial and rigid concept into something with movement and delicacy for the fashion industry”.
Marcus Lee, University of Derby
Finally, Marcus Lee’s work is highly individual and graphic – and by applying his designs to skateboards he ensured standing out from the crowd. Experimenting with wood, fabric and vinyl, his cartoon-like characters in urban scenes create engaging crazy narratives and patterns, which attracted a lot of attention.
New Designers
Emma Jane Bloxham: babyblox@mail.com
Kirsty Ronnie: kirstyronnie@hotmail.co.uk
Joy Salvage: joysalvage@hotmail.com
Elena Muñoz Gomez-Trenor: elenamunozgt@gmail.com
Elaine Fleming: brittstown@yahoo.com
Aimee Kent: aimee@aimeekent.com
Rebecca Louise Scott: louisescott13@hotmail.co.uk
Marcus Lee
