Joanna Solomon (Year 10)

Last Friday, students studying textiles in Years 10 and the Lower Sixth visited the New Designers Exhibition in London. Talented textiles graduates from all over the country and abroad exhibited pieces that they had designed. I was amazed by the diverse number of pieces, ranging from costumes, to jewellery, to tepees!

Many of the students used methods such as digital printing and knitting machines. It was fascinating to talk to them and find out what inspired their work. Many said traveling to cities such as Seville and visiting the Scottish Highlands were sources of inspiration. One work I liked in particular was beeswax wraps, which had animal patterns on them. Another student pressed flowers and moved on to extend the life of discarded fabrics. Many designs were abstract, giving a sense of something behind the obvious, while others were prints of landscapes or children’s’ wallpaper.

The exhibition has revealed to me how simple methods can be used to create incredible effects. I now want to use these techniques more creatively. We had a great day, and it was very exciting to talk to real designers who were so open to talk about their work.

Olivia Ames (Lower Sixth) added: “As Lower Sixth textiles students, we are currently looking at what we would like to do after leaving school. This was an invaluable day for us as we got to speak to students, and view work from many different courses and universities that we are considering, as well as finding inspiration for our current work.”