Locating - Evaluation

Live Brief 

Working on a live brief in collaboration with a successful company has been a real insight into the textile world. It's opened my eyes to the process that a designer goes through to produce a final product, and I think the information I've learned and experiences I've had will help me a considerate amount in the future. 

It was a new experience for me to design woven fabrics that were for the fashion industry as opposed to interiors, however it allowed me to broaden my horizons as well as my knowledge, as to which direction I can further develop into a career. Having said that, I have thoroughly enjoyed this project and I'm really proud with the outcome I have achieved. Initially, I really struggled with the lack of research we were able to produce and I wasn't used to just responding to an individual image, however as time progressed I have surprised myself that I am able to work in a completely different manner. I pushed myself to study fabric structures and experiment with techniques that were new to me, and this helped me understand the material a lot better. 

I'm so proud of myself and my final collection for this project. I believe that it fits my brief well and I was very careful with following the specifications that the company gave us, yet pushing new ideas forward. As I was designing a range to fit alongside a square collection of scarves, I tried my best to make sure that my samples were square too, to help imagine them as final silk pieces. 

I also think that my collection strongly represents Andy Warhol as an artist; nicknamed the 'Pope of Pop' his personality, as well as his artwork, was colourful and it was important to me that my work reflected that. 

Self-initiated Brief


At the beginning of this project, the idea of running two briefs alongside each other was beyond daunting, however looking back I think it's worked really well. There have definitely been moments of panic and uncertainty with where my work was going next, but I successfully moved past that and I'm really impressed with the collection of work I have produced. 

Since the very start, I wanted to continue to push myself out of my comfort zone and I feel that I very much achieved this. As a person who is very comfortable with using organic colours, it was interesting to work with so much vibrancy in my work again...sometimes a little overwhelming! But on reflection, I don't believe that I would've managed to achieve the same effect had I not used the bright colours that I finally chose. 
I also wanted to challenge myself technologically and made Photoshop the main medium within my brief. As I've stated before, it is an area with which I have not much previous experience with, however since incorporating it into my project, I have learned so much and have created designs that I would never have discovered had I just stuck with pen and paper. 
In the past I have discussed how I would like to combine print with weave, and this is still an area that really interests me. With my self-initaited brief, I feel that I discovered another way to combine the two, yet in a more digital form. I'm pleased with how I incorporated Warhol's processes into my work and although it wasn't through the traditional technique, I think it was a big success. 

I'm frustrated with myself that I didn't manage to create my designs on the Jacquard loom, however in the end, time was just too tight so I'm making it a priority for my next project. I think it is important to have a diverse range of skills within weaving, and Jacquard is an area which I don't feel confident with.

For this project, it has been hard for me to visualise where my work would fit into the current market. It is clear that my designs are very bold and statement pieces; although I love them, it has created a real problem for me to turn my designs into a fashion item or furnishing piece. Throughout the brief, I have been massively inspired by a wide range of practitioners however none have given me a true insight into who my market audience could be. I believe that my designs are more suited to the interiors market, and if I had more time to work on this project, I would further research into this audience and develop my ideas into a range that would fit into a particular category. 

On reflection, I feel that I have learned a lot over the entirety of the Locating Unit. From my Live Brief, I've discovered how important and useful it is to paint colour stripes, as well as wrappings, to help you decide on a palette. I've also learned that from past experience I have struggled with developing a complete project from little initial research, however I feel that I have proved myself wrong this time. It was a struggle to begin with, but by working through it and studying every inch of information I found, enabled me to realise that I can work well with both a small and large amount of research, at the beginning of a new brief. 
From looking back over my Self-Initiated Brief, I have learned to work in a new way. In the past I have always been an artist who likes to create designs that are very hands on and messy, however by removing that and replacing it with a computer program, I was able to understand a different way of working. It has not only broadened my way of designing, but also taught me skills that I can use in the industry. 

At this point, I would be looking forward to what Unit X has to offer me, however I'm excited about starting a 2 month internship in Kent at Margo Selby's studio. As a designer who has not only inspired me, but also influenced the work I have produced, I'm incredibly honoured to be given the opportunity to work alongside Selby and learn how she has built her successful company! I'm hoping to return to my third year at university, full of new techniques and information about the industry and I will make sure to use this to my advantage.