About me
Carmen Lau is a mix media textile designer, specialising in
fashion fabrics. Her main inspiration comes from natural forms in
plants and natural surroundings. Hand stitched and digital embroidery are her main specialisms, alongside other skills which include manipulation, digital print and laser work to construct her own embellishments using a variety of materials.
It is important for Carmen to have strong colours to work with as this is a key aspect in her work. The end result is often complied of a rich colour palette, that has evolved through the use of colour experimentations.
Carmen graduated from Arts University Bournemouth in 2017 with
a BA in Textile Design.
Projects
- Seasonal Change Lush- Seasonal Change, which focused on hand and digital embroidery and digital print for fashion fabrics. Climate change is altering the life cycle of plants and animals. For example as the temperature gets warmer plants are starting to grow and bloom early in spring. The Royal Botanic Garden in Sydney protects and looks after botanical plants and other species. Taking the idea of how plants may become extinct; Carmen has focused on preserving plants from winter to spring which involved preserving flowers by drying or through the classic technique of pressing. She experimented setting these in resin to preserve the colour of the flower. When she was drying the flowers she realised even when they are dried they have a sense of beauty in them. Carmen wanted a sense of change in the project, a seasonal change from winter to spring. She has done this by slowly changing her colour palette. In the beginning of the project the colours are darker and towards the end of the project the colours will be lighter and bright. As well as the colours, the fabric will begin heavier and become lighter throughout the project. She wanted to be able to showcase the progression of the seasonal change; she did this by using a variety of heavy and light fabrics such as wool and fur to silks and netting.
- CamouflageCamouflage explores the skins and the surrounding area of where a variety of animals live. Inspired by the Cotswold wildlife park this project is based on textures and big bold motifs. Camouflage is an ability to blend in with the surrounding colours and patterns to avoid being seen by predators. The colour and pattern of certain animals can help them blend in with their environment. Carmen has used camouflage as her base idea for her project. She has used various techniques such as sublimation printing, CAD embroidery and laser work. During this project she has mainly used hand stich and embellishments to create the textures, but has also explored using hand pleating within her work.
- The City of Lights, Hong KongHong Kong, known for its busy life style and culture. With over seven million people currently living in Hong Kong right now, it is one of the most vibrant, exciting and modern cities in the world. It is frequently described as a place where “East meets West”. These nine piece collection are photos that Carmen took whilst she was in Hong Kong. Using a process called applique, she has manipluated the photos with fabrics and by adding the LED lights in the background She wanted to create what Hong Kong is known for, the city of lights
Work history
Freelance Design Assistant
- London, United KingdomInternship
I managed and organised the vintage archive and contemporary collection, as well as assisting in the customer reception and other members in the company. This was valuable experience because I was able to work for different departments within the company.
Interior Design Assistant
- Witney, United KingdomFull Time
My responsibilities included the managing visual aspects of the shop interior and this was valuable as I learnt to create memorable window displays. Visiting Parlane's trade show with the designer, it gave me and insight into the technicalities of buying in the business.
Skills
- Embroidery
- CAD Software
- Adobe Creative Suite
- Dyeing Fabric
- Fabric Sourcing
- Machine Embroidery
- Hand Embroidery
- Trend Research
- Cantonese Chinese
- Hand Embellishing
Education
BA (hons.) Textile DesignArts University Bournemouth
- Bournemouth, United Kingdom
Art Foundation Degree
- Oxford, United Kingdom