Textile Sketch Book

Above: some pages from my textile sketch book
This is a great way of finding a home for samples and experiments. It is a fantastic way to build up a portfolio of ideas and a wonderful 'sketch book' for anyone involved in textiles and textile manipulation.

Inspired by Louise Bourgeois's textile book I have endeavoured to make a similar sketch book this weekend, it is great fun, liberating and probably the most experimental sketch book I have ever made, have a go !!!!! (I will bring it in, to show and tell).

KENZO

On the 12th November 2010 the V&A is celebrating the 40th anniversary of Parisian fashion house KENZO with a 'Fashion in Motion' event. The Raphael Gallery will host a day of catwalk shows featuring designs from KENZO's archive.
KENZO renowned for bright colour and lively prints was founded in the 1970's by Kenzo Takada, who retired in 1999. Now KENZO is under the directorship of Italian designer Antonio Marras.

Piece by Piece

Piece by Piece was founded in 2008 by Elizabeth Brunner, based on the idea that existing materials as a precious resource with untapped potential. Piece by Piece uses fabric samples as both inspiration and the fabric for her individual, one of a kind, garments.

Threads of Feeling

The power of textiles is very evident in this exhibition called 'Threads of Feeling' (14th October 2010-6th March 2011) an exhibition illustrating the story of abandoned babies left at the Foundling Hospital, London, the first home for abandoned children.
Between 1741 and 1759 any children that were admitted to the hospital were left with a token, often a small scrap of fabric which identified them with the mother. The scraps of fabric were cut from mothers dresses and put in a ledger so that hopefully children and their mothers could be reunited with in the future.
"The textiles are both beautiful and poignant, embedded in a rich social history. Each swatch reflects the life of a single infant child. But the textiles also tell us about the clothes their mothers wore, because baby clothes were usually made up from worn-out adult clothing. The fabrics reveal how working women struggled to be fashionable in the 18th Century.” John Styles.
As part of the exhibition Sarah Easom and London Printworks Trust have have recreated an eighteenth century bedgown based on the design of one of the samples, Florella which will be on display during the exhibition. (thanks)

Martina Spetlova

This is the work of Martina Spetlova a recent graduate of Central St Martins. Her collection is folded panels of contrasting texture and colour linked together with colourful zips. Martina used the concept of Lego bricks , so her bricks are separate panels that con be constantly reinvented zipped and unzipped in different combinations.

Ari Tabei

Ari Tabei has the nesting instinct bad! she makes nests, garments and bags like cocoons.

''With these materials, I package my body to disconnect myself from reality, but also to tie myself to it.'' Ari Tabei

Have a look at the link Ari Tabei uses lots of interesting techniques to construct her garments.

Ellinor Kellner

"You can introduce the unpredictable spontaneous factor with a pair of scissors." Ellinor Kellner.

Ellinor Kellner is a student at Beckmans College of Design this is part of her portfolio called cut-up, Beckmans College has some very good portfolios for you to look at.

Ana Lisa Hedstrom

Ana Lisa Hedstrom is a contemporary practitioner of the Japanese art of Shibori. There are some lovely images of Shibori preparation and results here.

Heidi Moon

Heidi Moon is a graduate of Greys Art School, she currently reclaims, upcycles and refashions textiles into clothing, jewelry and soft toys, she is very daring and experimental and uses lots of different techniques to style her pieces. There is lots of inspiration to be drawn from Heidi's work, she is also a member of Denim Surgery and Trashionista on flickr .

Students Upcycle Louis Vuitton

Students from Parsons The New School For Design have had a day's upcycling of Louis Vuitton designer clothes, weaving, applique and quilting were amongst the techniques used, see and read more here.

Maria Blaisse II

More stunning and surreal costume designs for dance performances, from Maria Blaisse these are called 'Spheres' and are from 1989. Remember fashion is a vast arena including costume design for film, theatre and dance, so your designs and imagination could take you anywhere!

Maria Blaisse I

These fantastic images are of Maria Blaisse's foam costumes 'Kuma Guna' created for a dance performance, such structure could also be created using neoprene (wet suit fabric). (Found) thanks to (Deb)x.

Amila Hrustic

Amila Hrustic is a designer based in Sarajevo, her portfolio is extensive spanning the disciplines of textiles, fashion, furniture and product design. This collection is called 'Plato's Collection',based on platonic solids of the cube, tetrahedron, octahedron dodecahedron and icosahedron.

The clothes are made of paper and are more suited to stage or fashion editorials. (thank you)

Julian Roberts

Julian Roberts constructs fabrics like an engineer, they are folded like origami masterpieces , his technique is called 'Subtraction Cutting'.
'Subtraction Cutting' is an approach to garment design that allows for trial and error, chance discovery, multiple flipside viewpoints, and the ability to cut fast and loose without too many overbearing reference to numbers, or rigid mathematical rules.'
Please watch the 5 minute Video (you will find top right hand side of Julian Roberts website).

Furture Beauty

Future Beauty is an exhibition at the Barbican Gallery from 15th October until 6th February.

It is the first comprehensive exhibition of avant-garde Japanese fashion to be held in Europe. The exhibition is supported by many wonderful talks and workshops try and treat yourselves. On February 5th 2011 there is a workshop by Julian Roberts, that looks especially wonderful (be quick I am sure these events will be very popular).

Camila do Rosario

Inspiration for sketchbooks and mood boards, Camila do Rosario is a fashion student in Brazil, who is gaining an international reputation for her fashion illustration. her combination of line drawing and collage is stunning.

Knitting Big

This is the big knitting of textile artist Ingrid Wagner. The top image is of particular interest for upcycling as Ingrid is knitting rag strips, you could consider this or crochet.

Yoshikazu Yamagata

For those of you mastering the art of knitting, this is Yoshikazu Yamagata, have a look at his amazing portfolio, I am sure that you will gasp, laugh and hopefully be very inspired!

Alison Willoughby

Alison Willoughby, uses every technique available to a textile artist/ fashion designer/crafts person. Like a fine chef she throws unusual ingredients into the mix to create garments with unique character, flavour and flare. Be inspired . . . by Alison Willoughby.

Liaquat Rasul

This months issue of Selvedge has an article on Liaquat Rasul and includes in its editorial a picture of this amazing quilted and embroidered dress.
Liaquat Rasul was born and raised in Wales to Pakistani parents and he draws from his unique heritage in producing works with the beauty and colour of Asian fabrics combined with the structure of British Tailoring.

Aina Muze

Aina Muze is a Latvian textile artist who lectures at the Latvian Academia of Arts. Her quilts are very modern, I especially like her denim one (top image) and the use of labels and rivets in the design.