UNIT X - Blog Post 4

Back from Easter break I am developing designs for both my bedding and interior accesories collections whilst spending time in the print room furthering my fabric samples for my repeat pattern sheers collection.

Using paintings, dyed fabric and screen prints as new drawings to create new designs from I've experiemented with panel designs and mirrored repeats. At the moment I feel my throw, cushion and vase collection is much closer to being refined and finalised then my prints for bedding which I need to do some new contextual/inspirational research into before I can develop them further.

Ink Drawing Edited and put into Simple Repeat

In the print room I have been testing new methods for my sheers collection, printing with foil glue on varied fabrics has been my most succesful. When held up to the light the design becomes visible perfect for the voile outcome sheers are often used for. 

Foil Glue on Sheer Fabric

I have found the devore linen a challenge, alot of my designs are created from fine lines so seeing the burnt out design on a thicker fabric that doesn't allow light through is proving hard. Next week I am going to continue sampling with it. It is a fabric I would like to keep within the collection as it adds variation to weight and texture but also possibilties for other complimentary outcomes. 

Devore Linen Attempt before Burnt Out Properly

I was planning to create a look book from the sheers collection as it not only demonstrates a variety of repeat styles but also a variation of techniques you can only achieve through screen printing such as flocking and foiling. However, after creating some of the samples and realising the best way to veiw them is often held up in natural light as you would see them in context I have made the descion not too as binding them together would take away from the what the designs are essentially about.

UNIT X - Blog Post 3 - Over Easter

Over Easter I  have spent time doing further sampling in the print room. The addition of pigment rather than just using reactive dyes on my fabrics has made a dramatic turning point with my designs.The flat colour and graphic style of my imagery on screen has added variation to the ombre and gradient designs I've been creating up till now.

Pearl Pigment on Velvet

I've now made the decision to go down two routes, splitting what was going to be one large minimalistic collection into two more varied collections with their own colour stories. 

One collection with the outcome intended to be interior accesories - throws, cushions and vases.
The other a bedding collection with prints that can be adapted to single, double etc size duvets and pillow cases.

When I started to work in photoshop putting my print samples into repeat suggestions I also experiemented with combining the blurred colour transisiton aspect of my designs with the graphic flat imagery. This design imparticular is when the turning point occured. Printed on a fresh, crisp white fabric I could see the tones and graphic qualities well suited to bedding rather than throws, and other items you may find in a domestic living room.

 

Graphic and Blurred Qualities Combined & Visualisation

I did some research into designers who combine both those qualities within their own work and come across Lorena Gaxiola who designs in a similar way for her bedding and rug collections for inspiration on how I could continue to develop this new approach. 

Lorena Gaxiola

Her most recent collection has a limited colour pallete so although designs are very varied they still all work together. This is one of the reasons (besides my colour stories being suited to different outcomes) I have decided to split my one colour pallete and collection into two smaller ones.

UNIT X - Blog Post 2 - London Contextual Research

Before Easter I travelled down to London to vist Chelsea Habour for further high end contextual research, inspiration and to help me come to a conclusion on which fabrics would be appropriate for my context/designs. 

Mark Alexander Devore Linen

  
Mark Alexander's fabrics have had a big influence within this unit. He has inspired me to take the designs from my first collection in the practice unit and develop them further onto new materials. I have demonstrated alot of repeat styles within that collection that I would like to include in my portfolio but the fabrics I initally used were more of a dress weight. To adapt their suitability to the context of sheers fabric collection for an interior I'm going to develop my sampling further on  Devore Linens and Velvets, Voiles and Silk.

My second collection that I've been adding drawings and designs to throughout this unit has now been confirmed it has a much better suitability towards a high end interior market. I found within London alot of the high end companies had such as Anthropologie and Designers Guild had similar qualities within their designs including colour palettes, total variation, abstract mark making and fabrics. 

Designers Guild

Alot of my designs so far for the second collection have been panel designs. Designers guild demonstrated some simple side to side repeats using textural imagery. It's made me consider a more simplistic approach to the repeat styles I use within this collection not to overcomplicate them and detract from the minimalistic style of the designs.

Jessica Zoobs collection collaborating with Black edition demonstated a very inspirational range of fabrics and compositions. The textual qualities within the linen she uses provide a fresh and contemporary contrast against the luxorious velvets. Velvet and moleskin cotton are two fabrics I have been using within my second collection as the pile allows me to create textural differences and resists that are a feature of my designs. I'm now considering the additon of Woven Silks and Linens or possibly a plain weave cotton to the collection that would be suitable to use as a throw unlike the onesided pile fabrics I've previously been sampling with. 

Jessica Zoob Sample Book and Fabric Hangings