Meet the GFF 2020 David Band Textile Award Nominees
The David Band Textiles Award will be presented to one student who creates a distinctive and thought-provoking exploration of the creative textile process, which aims to challenge the established boundaries of technical excellence. Meet the nominees below!
Alma Sivlec Karlin, Edinburgh College of Art
The idea of a Love Story emerged from research into my cultural heritage of lace-making craft ad military tailoring, as these two opposing areas created a sort of relationship/ Researching psychology of romantic relationships lead me to the discovery that contrast and conflict drive mutual transformation of both partners and the relationship itself, creating a third identity. I applied this concept by combining craft (lace motifs) and technology (sportswear innovation) in my textiles. BNut also fusing a sportswear-like colour blocking and palette with timeless tailoring based silhouettes.
Amy Goacher, Kingston University London
Charlotte Banks, Manchester Metropolitan University
I spent a month in Florence over summer learning Italian because my parents live there. I used the time to carry out primary research. Florence is the centre of the Rennaissance and the countless galleries, palaces, gardens, buildings and statues that we see around the city first came to life in the 16th century. I discovered the Medici family, whose power and wealth as the rulers of the grand dukedom of the region of Florence, has fascinated us for centuries. The Medici family were generous patrons of art. Their story has become my narrative for my collection whilst their surroundings have informed the fabrication, from colour and print to the very processes I have chosen to use.
Elvira Isenzhulova, De Montfort University
My final major project is an investigation of transformable fashion as a sustainable practice where one highly adaptable item can replace several conventional garments and therefore decrease the need to buy multiple pieces and thoughtlessly consume fashion. The current state of the fashion industry can seem uncertain but it is becoming more and more obvious that changes are starting to take place. Customers are looking for quality and longevity as well as unique design that also serves a purpose making garments adaptable and appropriate to wear in multiple contexts, both casual and formal. The inspiration behind my textile and knit development is based on the idea of creating movement in knit, mainly influenced by Bridget Riley’s optical art.
Hafsah Iqbal, University of Huddersfield
Hanna McDonough, Liverpool John Moores University
concept for my final major project is inspired largely by my Scandinavian heritage, exploring the use of craft techniques and domestic textile processing in traditional folk clothing. An awareness of the environmental impact of textiles used for fashion is something I am passionate about, and I aim to address this in my work. My thorough research into historical Scandinavian folk garments and the range of materials and processes used for everyday clothing led me to apply an appreciation of craft and the origins of textiles to contemporary fashion design.
My final graduate collection celebrates the often overlooked and understated beauty of traditional Scandinavian garments and the time-taking textile techniques that go into their making. By applying folk-inspired textile techniques and surface detailing to plant-based and recycled materials, I aim to combine the richness of historical influences with responsibly sourced textiles to reflect the ecological concerns of current times and the importance of sustainability in textiles for fashion.
Hena Begum, University of Portsmouth
Modestly focuses on modest clothing and aims to allow individuals who observe modesty to be able to express themselves aesthetically through colour and silhouette whilst observing modesty. The collection aims to combat the lack of options for women when it comes to modest clothing, whilst also showcasing Islamic architecture and patterns through it. The collection celebrates inclusivity in the fashion industry, where modest fashion is becoming more and more popular. The collection eradicates the notion that modest wear is made up of muted colours and shapeless garments. In order to do this, a bright colour palette was introduced inspired by stain glass windows found in mosques. Geometric patterns were introduced by Islamic architecture found in mosques combined with images of nature to create layered prints.
Isabelle Dance, Greater Brighton Metropolitan College
This collection is exuberant with fantasy-like creations. The concept was influenced by a love of art, this included looking at various paintings from the Renaissance period and the Post-Impressionist art movement. This is distilled into sumptuous shapes and sensual colours. A trip to The Vatican City furthered the research into looking at clouds, Michael Angelo’s soaring ceiling paintings with clouds inspired a lightness to the collection and the fabrics and garments explore this lightness in imagery, texture and fluid lines. Clouds can represent freedom, emotional purity and positivity. This symbolic meaning provokes joy, which is a powerful thing. The designs within this collection are textural and ethereal. Wet felting and digital prints are key fabrics as well as tulle, brocade and satin. The garments will transform you into a surreal daydream.
Khurrum Salahuddin, Cardiff School of Art & Design
Truck art is a popular form of regional decoration in South Asia, with Pakistani trucks featuring elaborate floral designs, kaleidoscopic colour schemes and perplexing artisanship. As a Pakistani, we do adore everything dynamic and loud which reflects in trucks with bold and bright colours and intricate designs. Pakistani decorated trucks also known as a “Jingle Truck”.
Ruby Harry, Cardiff School of Art & Design
For my final collection, my inspiration came from my trip to Rome where I found myself influenced by the Roman goddess Flora. Flora is the goddess of all-natural beauty, she embodies femininity and is the holder of new life. In 200bc, the Roman people would hold flower festivals in her honour as they believe that if they worshipped Flora, she would bring them healthy crops. For my collection, I want to adapt the cloth in some way and give it a personal touch and represent my research into the flower festival. I loved completing different foiling techniques in my textile experiments. I decided to hand paint the foiling onto the petals and leaves of the fabric to give the print more emphasis. For my organza material, I created a screen that I then printed my flower artwork onto.