Locations: Networking

Since entering the BetaFashion Scarf design competition, I have also entered the MMU Bag design competition- in an effort to have my design (below) to be printed on to tote bags handed out at open days for the university.

-MMU bag design competition entry-

I have also been inspired to join networking sites, to promote and display my portfolio online in an effort to gain contacts and get my work seen around the world.

Here are the links for my other networking sites:

http://www.behance.net/LoisGowland

http://www.linkedin.com/in/loisgowland

http://pinterest.com/loisgowland/

Project Gantt Chart

I have produced a Gantt Chart to show how I have worked so far, and how I will continue to work through the project.

The combination of personal brief, competition briefs and trying to gain outside interest in the textiles world has proved a very busy couple of weeks, so I thought I should follow a timetable so I know I'm on track.

Beta Scarf Design Competition - It's a Bug's Life!

If you have time, please register and vote for my design! Closes on 30/1/13.

https://www.betafashion.com/competitionratedesign.aspx?SubmissionID=6770

I have used some of my imagery from the current locations project to enter an online competition with Beta, a scarf design company who distribute scarves to Topshop and other companies. 

This is the design I have entered in to the competition:

Although I am working towards children's wear for the current Locations unit, I thought it was quite good practice to work on and hand in this competition, with only about a week until the deadline for it. It has proved I have been able to manage my time this week with lectures, workshops, and the several other personal projects I have organised for myself.

If you have time, please register and vote for my design! Closes on 30/1/13.

https://www.betafashion.com/competitionratedesign.aspx?SubmissionID=6770

Children's Designer Market Research

After receiving feedback last week of my merged themes idea, it was suggested that rather than looking at high-street and supermarket style children's wear, I should focus more on designer brands and children's boutiques because my concept is quite complex.

I searched for children's clothes shops in London and found Igloo online, featuring a host of designer brands for children with interesting prints:

Sunuva

Week-end A La Mer

No Added Sugar

Jojomamanbebe

Jojomamanbebe

Jojomamanbebe

 I also found "Not So Big Shop", again offering a lot of children's designer wear, including this silhouette wolf top by Esp No1:

Sparkle & Spin also have a great range, and I found this Eagle design by Molo, which I love the composition of:

Inspiration- The Game of Consequences:

During a discussion of my work in a tutorial on Monday, it was suggested I take on Andrew Kenny's personalised textiles idea. I have been looking at high-street and supermarket children's wear brands to based my line one. However I have been inspired to head towards a designer outcome because my concept is quite complex and original. 

A peer reminded me of the "Game of Consequences" where a group of people use a folded piece of paper and take turns to write part of a story. Explained better by Wikipedia:

And this is an example of an outcome of the game:

I like the idea of creating- or allowing children to create their own insect characters made up of random parts. I am going to upload drawings of parts of trains, planes and insects on to photoshop and create them like that for now.

Project Development:

I wanted to come up with an original concept for this project, so have combined the theme of trains and planes, and the theme of insects. Inspired by Lego's "Insectoids", I want to create my own characters of insects made up with parts of engines, trains, and planes which I have drawn in my initial sketches. These are some of the characters I have invented so far:

Andrew Kenny MA Textiles RCA

Andrew Kenny is an MA student at the Royal College of Art. He wants to make textiles which are personal and special to a person from the moment they see them. 

He says that during research he realised that people always have one item they don't want to throw away. So by looking at a persons Facebook profile and photographs on it, he uses a computer program to scan the photos and automatically create textiles based on the information on the Facebook profile. 

I love this idea to make Textiles personal right from the beginning. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYMnjI-B9Q0

Locations: Market Research

I have conducted some market research to inspire my work, and see how I can go about entering the Threadless on-going t-shirt competition. 

I have looked at the use of colour, image and composition.

Desigual

Desigual

George

H&M

M&S

M&S

M&S

Next

Next

Threadless

Threadless

Threadless

Threadless

Locations Project - 3rd Dec- 25th Feb

This Project is focused on live competitions as well as developing my own brief. 

I am aiming to design for boys wear, however keeping an open mind about possible interior or other outcomes considering the competitions I enter.

I have gathered visual inspiration from two themes which are typically favoured by boys aged 1-7.

Planes & Trains:

Insects:

Image from National Geographic

Diatoms

Intentions: Bringing the Seaside to Manchester

What is it?

I want to create a range of Children’s prints based on a “Seaside” theme, which I have been inspired to carry out by my Summer Project.

How are you doing to do it?

Since I am based in Manchester, collecting on-going visual research based on this theme will prove difficult. Therefore, I aim to collect images from around the city with an “Urban” theme (roads, buildings, maps etc.).

I will use various drawing techniques, digital image making and my summer project visuals to create a fun, colourful seaside theme for Children.

This risk taking allows me to experiment by putting different themes together to create my final outcome.

I will use my blog and my sketchbook to document the progression of my project, my creative and reflective processes and how my on-going research is used create a final outcome.

Who cares?

Children’s interiors or fashion. Preparation is key.