Dash and Miller Live Brief

After what I felt was a very successful first project, I have decided that I would like to continue with my 'Imperfections' concept but focus it upon the Dash and Miller woven textiles/ print live brief. 'Dash and Miller are a textile design studio specialising in hand-woven swatches to be used as inspiration for apparel and home interiors fabrics. Their clients span a broad range of companies from both high-end and high-street levels of these industries.’ Dash and Miller have asked that we apply our sample collection to a specific company or designer; I have chosen Ashish, a fashion company that specialise in the eccentric. 

I was predominantly inspired by Ashish’s S/S 2016 androgynous collection, which followed sequined models down the runway on skateboards. The collection consisted of both men and women and truly challenged gender identity. When looking back through Ashish' past collections, I have noticed that they don't utilise any experimental woven textiles, which is something that I would like to challenge. It’s important to me that my samples are kept playful and fun in their appearance, as well as developing my colour palette and weave techniques. In the presentation of my last project, it was continuously mentioned how I was creating samples with an embroidery feel to them. This is an aspect that I would like to pursue. 

Mood boards are always an important part of my research, they allow me to gather my ideas in my concept as well as my colour palette. I have settled with a pastel based colour palette, with some slight bolder colours. My main inspiration has been taken from images that inspire me on Pinterest, mainly artists and fashion illustrators. Once I'm on the loom, I become more aware of what colours work well and what don’t, so I plan on expanding my colour decisions once I start weaving. I feel that my mood board portrays the playful and fun theme that I’m going for. 

I have taken inspiration for my development drawings from my last project 'Imperfections'. I have specifically concentrated more on stylistic shapes, including more developed 'imperfections' within the details. Inspiration for these drawings have also come from Jessica Simorte (http://jessicasimorte.com/home.html), who after contacting myself, I spoke to her about her influences, which she explained as the details within her surroundings. Making contact with with Jessica Simorte demonstrates ‘outward facing’, especially when we talked about her potentially wanting to collaborate with textile designers in the future. My shapes have been developed from details on the human form (see my first project). 

I started to draw using a mixture of medias, mainly pro markers, fine line pens and gouache paint. I have settled on the colour palette above and plan on taking two colours from this to create my warp. I am thinking about using a technique called ‘pick up’ for my next warp, which would mean threading a double cloth. Within my drawings, I have considered this as you can create any shape and composition with this method.

For my warp, I decided to challenge myself and do something I have never experimented with before, double cloth. Double cloth would allow me to interchange colours, as well as pull shapes from my bottom cloth with a technique called 'pick up', to appear on the top (vice versa on the back). I felt that this would help me translate my drawings very literally when weaving.

After a week and a half of attempting to work with my lilac/ mint warp, I finally decided that it didn't suit the hand manipulated way I work. I struggled with the colours initially and felt very restricted with what I could use as my weft. The way I had threaded up (on straight) was also a problem for me when thinking about creating peg plans. The decision to scrap my warp and start again has now set me back three weeks, but I have realised that I need to take steps back in order to take steps forward. Overall, I am glad I experimented and took the journey to try something new. It has made me realise what I like and don't like. My new warp is now white (2/16s mercerised cotton) which will enable me to use any colour in my palette as my weft (which will also be 2/16s mercerised cotton), and threaded up on point. I have also realised that creating peg plans isn’t suited to my style of working, I believe I suit much more hand manipulated techniques such as inlaying, knotting and creating tufts, much more like my first self- initiated project. This is something that I would like to explore further, I'm looking forward to the next couple of weeks of weaving. 

After changing my warp I felt it necessary to change my sketchbook as I became more frustrated with the work I had already produced. I will still submit this work as part of my development stages. Now in terms of direction, to avoid decision making taking too long within my colour palette, I decided to take colour inspiration from a Kindah Khalidy mixed media piece of work (shown in the board below). I chose this piece as I love her style of drawing, felt that it was fun and playful in the shapes and colours, and believed that it would work well with my chosen designer ‘Ashish’. Inspiration for my new drawings and shapes also originated from this specific painting too. 

Initial drawings came from shapes that I have picked up since my self- initiated project, as well as artists that have inspired me such as Ellsworth Kelly, Victor Passmore, Linda Linko and Jessica Simorte (see Dash & Miller portfolio). Collages were my main form of drawing as I found it easier to experiment with different shapes, sizes, colours and compositions this way. When re-reading the Dash & Miller brief, I noticed that there was an opportunity to explore other medias, not just weave. I felt that my drawings were well suited when forming a small print collection on Photoshop. ‘In addition they also carry a small collection of hand-printed and mixed media designs to complement the woven samples… I plan on the prints running alongside my woven samples and contributing to my final fashion line up.

I understand that Dash and Miller tend not to use digital print as a form of design, however as I have not been inducted in the print room, I had to resort to digital visualisations of what my prints would look like. On Photoshop, it really enabled me to develop my own digital skills, teaching myself to create my own shape brushes and layering. Creating digital samples to support my weaving in the future is something that I would really like to explore as I enjoyed it so much and didn’t feel as restricted as I do when I’m on the loom. This is why when I’m weaving, I use techniques such as inlay and creating shaped tufts as they enable me to play with size and composition.

My woven samples started with really simple plain weave colour testers. Here I was able to decide which worked best as a weft, and which colours would be best being used as inlay/ surface textures.  

Overall I am happy with my woven samples, however I do feel like they were slightly rushed which I regret. This has always been a downfall of mine as I tend to leave things to last minute, something that I wish to improve on in Unit X. I have added embroidery which is something that I planned on since the start. I feel like this is really pushing the brief in using other media, but an aspect that I have happy to challenge. If I had had more time, I would have liked to try and created more shapes that I used within my drawings and prints by inlaying and tufting, however this is a really time consuming technique.  

In terms of context, it has been obvious from the start where my work would sit within the creative world. For Ashish as my chosen company, it was important for me to keep my samples playful in their aesthetics, which I feel like I have achieved. The garments in themselves also have a fun appeal to them, catering to the younger audience that Ashish designs for.