Inspiration: The City

one Clare Toughs Graduate Collection, two Freddie Robins 'Knitted Homes of Crime', three 'Vertical' Sharon Elphick, four 'Letter Landscape 9' Jette Clover, five 'Trellick Tower' People Will Always Need Plates, six 'A Tale of Two Cities' Charlene Mullen

These are a few artists/designers who have taken inspiration from 'The City' when creating their work. Our AS students last year used the same them so if you have a look back through old posts you'll find previous posts that might relate to your project or give you inspiration; like these posts about Matthew Harris and Hella Jongerius who both create textile wall hangings!

inspiration:Gingibersnap

We are loving these soft sculptures/plush pillows by Stacie of Gingiber Snap

Hull Traders

image source , 'Pascoe', Furnishing Fabric, Shirley Craven, 1960s

"The combination of Hull Traders and Shirley Craven has produced a steady flow of excellent modern furnishing fabric designs over the past few years, many of them trendsetters" - Design, May 1968 

Hull Traders began in 1958 and soon had a reputation for wonderful fabric designs from winning several awards. Shirley Craven both designed textiles for the company and selected designs from freelance textile artists as well as over seeing the printing process. Designers who created pieces for the company included; Eduardo Palozzi, Althea McNish and Humphrey Spender. 

If you're looking at Hull Traders for your project you might find the following links useful:

Hull Traders on the V&A website

Search the V&A collection

Hull Traders website

Hull Traders on my learning

Heals

image source, 'Lariat', furnishing fabric, Hamdi El Attar for Heals, 1969

"Tom Worthington...aimed to meet both contract and domestic requirements and include designs which he knew would not be commercially successful, but believed would set trends for the future" - article in the Guardian, December 1970 

Heals was a department store that dates back to 1810. During the 1960s Tom Worthington was Heal's Design Consultant and he was a pioneer in investing in contemporary textiles. He had an open mind and often bought fabric designs from freelance designers and recent art school graduates. He'd then work with them to create a range of colour ways to print the fabrics in. The designs often reflected the changing moods of the 60s, from sober colours and geometric shapes to Pop and Op Art to flower power and super-realism. If you are looking at Heals for your project search through the collection on the V&A and select a fabric design reflects your interest in the 1960s! Heals have a variety of designs to choose from!

If you're looking at Heals for your project you might find the following links useful: 

examples of textile designs

'Heals' on V&A website

Search the collection on the V&A

Heals store today - still going!

Heals Rediscovers - looking back to the 60s

Terence Conran

image source, screen printed cotton furnishing fabric designed by Natalie Gibson for Conran Fabrics Ltd, 1967

In 1964 Terence Conran opened the first Habitat in Brompton Cross, London. The staff wore designs by Mary Quant to try and attract younger customers! His overall aim was to make attractive, affordable design available to the general public.

If you're looking at Terence Conran for your project you might find the following links useful:
Design Museum profile
The Conran Fabric Archive
V&A Designer Profile
Time Online Article

Zandra Rhodes

image source ‘Knitted Circle’ evening dress 1969

"Zandra Rhodes said of the work ‘'I made swirling, dramatic shapes with no concessions to the saleable, the acceptable or the ordinary. The true Rhodes style came into being". - Zandra Rhodes, discussing her early designs on V&A site  

Zandra Rhodes is well known for her bright pink hair and unconventional clothes. Rhodes launched her first collection in 1969 which included 'knitted circle'. Rhodes still creates new collections each season,as well as pieces for theatre and has even collaborated with MAC to produce a limited edition make-up range. In 2003 Rhodes  opened her own museum in London, The Fashion and Textile Museum. 

If you're looking at Zandra Rhodes for your project you might find the following links useful: 

Zandra Rhodes official website

Zandra Rhodes profile on the V&A 

view her collections from 2007-2011

Examples of her fashion drawings from the 1970s

her needlepoints

interview with the Guardian talking about her interior inspirations

Zika Ascher

image source

Zika Ascher launched the Ascher studio. His studio was popular for commissioning artists to create textile print designs and he was well thought of in the fashion and textile world; If you're looking at Ascher for your project you might find the following links useful:

'Zika Ascher is an innovator, the man who introduced the mohair cult, and the flowered prints launched by Christian Dior' Vogue, January 1962

If you're looking at Ascher for your project you might find the following links useful:

The V&A website

Ascher Studio website

Search for 'Ascher' in the V&A collections 

Inspiration: Matthew Harris

Matthew Harris 'Lantern Cloth No.1' detail image source

For students currently working on flags or wall hangings the work of artist Matthew Harris may be inspiring. His work explores drawing, hand stitching, dying and cutting fabrics.

His paper works could be particularly inspiring when thinking about different approaches to your observational drawing work.