UWE opens new Education Innovation Centre - University of the ...

vorous plants, the female form and Japanese islands
Calm, minimalist
collection by Rei Tan
Work placements undertaken by some of this year’s
undergraduates include Anna Sui, Betsey Johnson and Marc
Jacobs in New York, Givenchy and Chloe in Paris, Alexander
McQueen, Jonathan Saunders, Aitor Thorpe, Richard Nicoll,
Matthew Williamson, Jenny Packham, Carolyn Massey, Felder &
Felder, Christopher Kane, Kyri, ASOS, i-D, Company Magazine,
Fashion 156 and Eskimo PR.
Students showing their work this year include:
Lavina Peswani, who is studying Fashion/Textile Design - she
specialises in print design for the fashion industry and her work
can be used as interior pieces. She works with vibrant colour
palettes, intricate drawings and paintings. She combines these
diverse elements to create innovative compositions with a
strong personal style.
She says, “My inspiration comes from philosophy. I express
the forms in my surroundings, especially nature, in a personal
way to convey a message. I am showing three collections and
one of these is called Hidden Nature. It combines elements of
my Indian heritage mixed with the elements of the sea. I am
very passionate about the sea as I grew up near the beach.
The texture used and the painting was inspired by this and is
then combined by the traditional Indian paisley and a heavy
bordered composition. The collection is complex, beautiful,
elegant and unique. The colours are inspired by photographic
research of an aquarium and a carnivorous plant in Kew
Garden.”
Alexandra Nicholson specialises in design and construction
for women’s wear, investigating innovative textiles including
print and fabric manipulation. She is inspired by artists and
photographers alike retaining the minimalist elements of work.
Her main interest lies in pattern cutting, creating feminine,
delicate tailoring with an edge of rawness.
She says, “My collection, Untitled Identity, considers the female
as the central focus. Exposing the body in regions in order to
provoke and offer an aspect of vulnerability, whilst concealing
23
Innovative
designs using
luxury fabrics
by Alexandra
Nicholson
imperfections beneath layers of considered fabric. The female
form inspires the collection, stimulating innovative patterns,
which in turn exaggerate the fragility of women, accentuating
the strength and sensuality of the body.
“The imagery used is taken from and relates to female bodies,
engaging a mixture of techniques including photography,
embroidery, laser cutting and print. The outfits are
interchangeable, allowing a dynamic collection in relation to
the model and market.
The approach developed within the collection includes
projecting distorted images onto fabric via photographic
methods. This developed the surface design and fabric
manipulation, furthering conceptual ideas within textiles. The
colours and fabrics throughout are romantic, beautiful and
complimenting to the female. Sensuality and sexuality are
expressed through the luxury range of materials used.”
Rei Tan was inspired by the abandoned island Gunkanjima, also
known as Battleship Island, off the coast of Nagasaki, Japan.
She says, “Its concrete buildings sit in silence, wooden banisters
slowly rotting, concrete crumbling into fragments, grids of
glass windows gradually disappearing. Staircases, levels and
windows create grid like images and structure, repeating and
repeating.
“concrete.shadows is a calm, minimalistic collection with solid
neoprene, translucent organdie, stiff silk paper and textured
moleskin/ faux suede. It is almost neutral gender with a dark
monochrome colour palette. The layering of garments creates
space and void between the inner (body) and outer (garment)
layers. The laser cutting mimics the lines of shadows and paper
pop-ups. The silhouette is influenced by the straight and
asymmetrical structure of the buildings. I have an interest in
pattern cutting and have an experimental and trial and error
approach to working.”
The students’ work can be viewed online on
www.artsthread.com