TexSelect 2018: Featured Designers

©Rosa Pearks

TexSelect 
TexSelect’s aim is to select, mentor and promote the UK’s most talented newly graduated textile designers, providing an opportunity for realistic development, and a vital bridge between higher education and the real, commercial world.

Those selected for this unique mentorship programme are introduced to buyers, press and sponsors at the TexSelect London Preview and at Europe’s leading fabric fair, Première Vision Paris, gaining exceptional first hand experience of the industry.

There are also opportunities to intern with some of Italy’s finest mills and manufacturers, to be trained on specialist CAD software, and to have work selected for a curated interiors collection.

TexSelect’s Hero Mentor scheme carries the support forward, linking designers with industry professionals who provide ongoing career mentorship.

Many TexSelect alumni now enjoy high-profile creative roles within the international textile, fashion and interior design industries.

The TexSelect charity is entirely funded by the generous sponsorship of industry, by British charitable foundations, and by individuals.  All believe wholeheartedly in supporting textile design talent and in encouraging design innovation and excellence.

The Designers will  be showing at Première Vision Designs, 19th- 21st Sept and on 20th September 2018 at 15.30 there will be the presentation of the TexSelect Prizes for Colour, Fashion, Pattern and Interiors. Also the presentation of The Woolmark Company TexSelect Award ; the Marks & Spencer TexSelect Fashion Fabric Award; and NEW for 2018: The Worshipful Company of Woolmen TexSelect Design Innovation Award for Wool in Interiors.

Venue: Première Vision Designs, Hall 5, Première Vision Paris, Parc d’Expositions de Paris-Nord, Villepinte.

Alice Compton

Nostalgia
This project focuses on the theme of nostalgia, described as ‘the wistful desire to return in mind or body to a place of childhood or home’. Inspired by personal memories and memorabilia this collection examines the shapes, colours and scales of patterns found in childhood and how memories of these elements change over time.

Bright primary colours are used throughout the collection, as these colours are often associated with childhood. Memories of nostalgic colours are initially vivid and overtime as aging occurs memories fade along with colours. This is shown through a range of samples with some that are bright and full of colour, to others which are completely greyscale. Ombre effects and painted yarns have also been used in samples to show this concept of fading colours and memories.

Shapes and patterns of memory change as a person ages – reflecting something of what it means to ‘grow up’. These fabrics are designed for mens, womens and childrenswear so the scaling of pattern will appear differently between the ranges.  The patterns on children will look larger in perspective, mirroring the awe and wonder of how big everything appears as a child. This is contrasted by the apparent smaller scale of pattern on the adult, reflecting the perceived shrinking of the world as we grow up. These shapes have been created through the use of extra weft, painted warp and the use of a Jacquard loom.

Ranges of textures have been created through different yarns such as mohair and fancy yarns adding playful and comforting elements to the samples. The samples mainly consist of wools and cottons allowing for a series of playful, high quality and versatile fabrics to be produced for all gender and age ranges.

Alice graduated from The University of Brighton with a First Class Honours.
©All images copyright to Alice Compton 2018

Amy Gorman

My hand-woven designs are inspired by interesting colour combinations found in artworks, currently from Gauguin and Picasso. Currently my collection has been influenced heavily by my own drawings of large scale leaves found at the Eden Project and Kew Gardens. Hand dyeing is a large part of my practice and adds depth to colour within my designs. Most of the collection is made from silk and is supplemented by cotton, viscose and bamboo. The structures used are very simple, consisting of twills and satins, looking at a contrast in surface texture by adding extra warps and therefore, being able to ‘trap’ certain yarns, creating small tassels and floats.

Recently, my work has been primarily around finding the most exciting mix of colour, but now I want to push my work to consider more sustainable ways to inject colour into my warps through natural dyes, whilst trying to maintain the boldness of colour. This would definitely be supplemented by a move towards using more sustainable, potentially recycled yarns.

Generally my design process begins with some research to find out what I am inspired by whether it’s a current exhibition, issue or even a simple flower, and to then extend this research by compiling some primary sources: images, fabric samples, colours and further themes. Then I start drawing and experimenting with colour, scale, proportion and qualities of line; all of which inform my weaving and suggest ways in which I can plan my warps and threading plans.

Biography
Originally from Sheffield, I undertook an Art Foundation course at Chesterfield College following my A Level studies. Previously, I had studied painting and traditional art making techniques and, during my Foundation, I realised that these skills I had learned and developed would benefit me as a Textile Designer.

I always liked the idea of making something useful, yet beautiful, and to me, textiles was the perfect subject to pursue. I went onto study Textiles at Loughborough University where I specialised in Weave. With my strong artistic background I built further skills in hand dyeing and colour work and by specialising in Weave I was able to create interesting designs with colour and texture whilst using my drawing and painting skills as inspiration. Now, I am building a new collection of work to show at Premiere Vision, Paris in September.

e:amyegorman14@gmail.com
I:@gormanamy1
©All images copyright to Amy Gorman 2018

Grace Hartley
I am a woven textiles designer for both fashion and interiors. My work is inspired by the world around us, particularly the unusual and the unexpected. With this in mind I have been conscious of the need to be very experimental in my approach when designing on the loom. I explore and experiment through drawing, colour, texture, pattern, and composition which are then translated into my weaves. I also enjoy photography which is a key element in my work, capturing textural qualities and colour.

Throughout my practice innovation is key and my desire to push traditional textile practices to new boundaries. I love the possibilities of the unknown; trying out different yarns and possibilities. The employment of fancy yarns and unusual colour combinations alongside structural explorations of a more three-dimensional nature have been intuitively developed on the loom. This has resulted in several design collections, suitable mainly for the fashion and accessory end of the market.

Biography
I have recently graduated from Manchester School of Art with a First-Class BA (Hons) in Textiles in Practice. As well as my love for weave, I enjoy visiting art exhibitions, theatre, music and traveling. Experiencing textiles in different cultures around the world through travel is something I wish to achieve in the future.

e:gracehartley94@gmail.com
i:@gracehartley.textiles
©All images copyright to Grace Hartley 2018

Molly Hayden

My collection is based on various studies of fluctuations from observing how the wind can distort form and patterns, capturing transport in motion causing the blurring of colours and also following the flow of people in and out of stations, following lines of colour. Designed for high end womenswear, having drawn inspiration from Issey Miyake, Yoichi Nagasawa, Eckhaus Latte and Molly Goaddard all involving elements of distortion and a sheer/ethereal feel that I wanted to achieve within my own work.

The collection is an exploration of how I could translate the erratic and irregular marks made in my initial drawing, made with pens controlled by wind and paint flowing in constrained areas into fabric. I used techniques such as pique and double cloth with trapped elastic to distort the fabric and other pieces have subtle hints of ikat and moving grids for a subtler element of distortion.

Biography
Coming from the south west I enjoy being outdoors but also love many elements of city life and the buzz and colour it provides. The last three years in London has inspired me greatly and I appreciate this contrast of fast paced living with quality time spent by the coast. Both of these elements feed back into my work with most of my research coming from observations of people or landscape and structure. I have an eagerness to learn and am excited to start my career within the textile industry and see where in the world it can take me.

Henrietta Johns

‘The Exploration of Wool’
This collection, entitled ‘The Exploration of Wool’, aims to raise the profile of British wool as a sustainable fibre for contemporary, innovative apparel, opposing it’s traditional connotations. Visually inspired by rural British landscape, as well as farming scenery and practices, in correlation with the prospect of increased business for our independent British framers. Each fabric is composed of 100% British wool, natural dyes and natural sheep’s fleece colourings.

I developed a lot of my own techniques that were specifically designed to accentuate the natural qualities of wool to create innovative textures and surfaces. For example, I played with the idea of contrasting shrinkages. Raw sheep’s fleece will felt and shrink a lot quicker than woven wool. Therefore, layering these two elements together and then dramatically felting them gave me a bubble-like texture, where one layer pulls against the other. This particular texture was designed to capture the likeness of lichen, a very common visual in my research. This project revolved around the idea of experimentation and material development. There was a lot of trial and error, and not every idea I had worked. But it was this sense of investigation that made this project so addictive.

I am very passionate about exhibiting the natural capabilities of wool, and how you can create innovative designs without the assistance of any other fibre. Sustainability is very important to me in my design, so it was exciting to discover all the fascinating things you can do with one of the most sustainable materials available.

Biography
My passion for art and design started from a young age at my grandfather’s life drawing class. He taught me how to draw in a very traditional sense, with just a pencil, a ripped scrap of newsprint from the floor, and a nude model. My traditional start in art has shaped my present design at Central Saint Martins, more than I expected it to. I enjoy the notion of twisting tradition, building something new and exciting on top of it. I think that is why I was so excited by my final degree collection, as I took a very traditional material, paired with traditional visual inspiration, and combined it with modern techniques and ideas to create something contemporary.

I have really sparked an inner passion for wool in my last collection, and I aim to carry on working in 100% wool in my future design. As a young designer, I see sustainability as the most important aspect of how I work now. I hope to change people perceptions of sustainable textiles with my promotion of British wool.

Ideally, I would like to obtain my own studio space and loom in the next few years, developing my ideas for sustainable innovation.
Contact details
e: Henriettajohns1@gmail.com
i: @henriettajohnsdesign
©All images copyright to Henrietta Johns 2018

Alice Percy-Raine
Shaping my project around the themes of architectural structures and objects has allowed me to work with a combination of materials. Some materials within my final collection are those not necessarily associated with textiles design such as silicone cords, organic sea grass, waterproof cotton, cork and neoprene.

Experimenting and exploring with these unusual materials through traditional and non- traditional embroidery techniques has created a tactile, rhythmic and playful surface. Through each of my pieces reflects a sense of material play, allowing the viewer to interact and connect with my pieces through their sensory property of touch forming a meaningful and memorable relationship.

Visualising my designs as an object within an interior space perhaps as a partition wall divider or an accessory within a room, creating recognisable forms that allow us as human beings to stop and to engage with our daily surroundings and our well being.

Biography
A multi- disciplinary designer with a specific focus on constructing innovative surfaces formed through traditional and non-conventional techniques. Currently graduated from the Glasgow School of Art and now showcasing my work to buyers, press and sponsors at TexSelect London Preview and then onto Première Vision Paris next month.
e: alicepercyr@gmail.com
i: @alicepercyr
©All images copyright to Alice Percy-Raine 2018

Rosa Pearks
‘Is it Really Bad Taste?’ is a luxury woven womenswear collection that aims to question ideas surrounding taste in a playful and humorous way. The collection is inspired by a range of places and objects that are considered to be ‘tacky’ by a variety of different people. It tries to rework these things in order to make people reconsider how they view them, and question whether or not they really are ‘bad taste’. The collection has an over the top feel and uses clashing colours, bold imagery and excessive fringing to create a maximalist look. Embellishment, foiling, laser cutting and digital embroidery have also been used to add to the extravagance of the collection.

Biography
I am a textile designer based in London and originally from Manchester. I have a keen interest in jacquard weaving and the exciting possibilities it can offer. My work often contains lots of hand drawn, illustrative imagery which lends itself to jacquard design as well as printed textiles. I use lots of bold graphic shapes and vivid colours to achieve eclectic woven designs and am also interested in embellishment and unusual textural combinations.
e:Rosa_pearks@hotmail.co.uk
i:@rosabess
©All images copyright to Rosa Pearks 2018

 With thanks to all the above designers for their own text & copyrighted images 2018,TexSelect Text from TexSelect website