Digital Textile Design

By guest blogger Jacqueline Colley

Create! Digital Textile Design took place at the V&A on 2^nd May 2015. Designed and led by textile designer Jacqueline Colley, a group of eight students from the young people’s programme worked as print designers for the day creating repeat patterns for fashion and visualising their designs in garment sketches.

Referencing images from the V&A’s archive collection and their own inspiration materials, the group spent a time and drawing creating separate elements on a page that could be used to build a repeat. Many developed a series of drawings that reflected their individual and current interests. Conversational elements, such as fruit and lollipops, were popular while some were interested in foliage and butterflies.

This blog post highlights the final images made during the one day course.

I began by showing the students a number of stills exhibiting how fashion designers use prints. For example, the latest Marc by Marc Jacobs collection uses two designs by William Morris; an English textile designer associated with the Arts and Crafts Movement. The designs date from 1875 and yet they are still relevant and exciting. I also referenced Jonathan Saunders use of Art Deco designs by Maurice Pillard Verneuil from 1897. He updated the prints by using modern ‘colour clash’ palette making a beautiful and timeless print contemporary and cool. I used these references to illustrate how cyclical design is and how it’s always useful to look to the past for inspiration, hence why fashion and textile designers flock to the V&A as there is inspiration to be found in every corner.

Jacqueline Colley is a UK based Textiles Designer http://www.jacquelinecolley.co.uk/About