Celebrating Textiles Innovation

“My work features needle felting, machine couching and hand tufting ... I was inspired by structured botany and have enjoyed combining the geometry of machine couching with the softness of hand tufting. I wasshocked to win first prize. It’s an amazing achievement ... as it’s from a highly regarded organisation that everyone in the textiles industry respects.”

Kerry Napier, a 22-year-old winner from Newcastle

The Company and Foundation have been long-standing supporters of the annual Bradford Textile Society Design Competition and New Designers.

The Company and Foundation have been long-standing supporters of the annual Bradford Textile Society Design Competition and New Designers. The Bradford Textile Society DesignCompetition, also supported by theDyers’, has been running since 1893and attracts nearly 1,000 entriesfrom across the UK every year. Wecommitted £4,650 in 2017 to continueour support for six award categoriescelebrating knitted, printed and woventextile designs as well as innovationin combining textile processes andintroducing new textile materials orutilising new technologies to advancethe field. The 2018 winners are:

• Wendy Roger (Heriot-WattUniversity): knitted design foreither fashion or interiors

• Sophie Penwright (BedfordCollege): printed design foreither fashion or interiors whichshows creative potential from anundergraduate student

• Hollie Andrews (LoughboroughUniversity): woven design forfashion

• Helena Cockwill (FalmouthUniversity): woven design forinteriors

• Kerry Napier (De MontfortUniversity): design for fashionor interiors that shows aninnovative combination of textileprocesses

• Emma Carruthers (LeedsArts University): materialconstruction for either fashionor interiors produced bynon-conventional processesand/or materials, or by newtechnologies.

NEW DESIGNERS: THE CLOTHWORKERS’ COMPANY ASSOCIATE PRIZE

This past June, Claudia Sabina Veneroni won our New Designers’ Associate Prize for her ‘Hong Kong Collection’. A 22-year-old graduate of The Glasgow School of Art, Claudia demonstrated a ‘brave, trend-setting, innovative’ approach to her designs, as well as a good sense of colour and a complete understanding of the complexities, opportunities and limitations involved in the technical production required to move her ideas from designs to products. She specialises in digital print design as well as embroidered and surface textiles. Her work combines illustration and textile design to tell surrealist stories inspired by people and travel. TexSelect has named Chelsea as one of their top 24 graduate textile designers, and they invited her to exhibit the ‘Hong Kong Collection’ in the London Preview (Chelsea, July 2018) and the forthcoming Première Vision Designs (Paris, September 2018) – The Master will be attending the latter.

It is a key strategic aim of The Company to encourage innovation and foster talent among students

and young designers – particularly those who demonstrate an advanced understanding of textile technologies and possess the ability to convert ideas into products. Claudia will be presented with her £1,000 prize at Clothworkers’ Hall during the Alumni Dinner (24 th September). She has written to The Company to thank us for supporting the award: ‘I am so honoured and excited to receive the award, and I really appreciate the recognition for my work.’ Take a look at her portfolio at www. claudiaveneroni.com.

Claudia, whose work is featured on the cover and at the beginning of this article.

ONE YEAR IN DEVELOPMENT AWARD

The Company is also pleased to announce that Majeda Clarke, one of last year’s recipients of The Clothworkers’ Company Awards at Cockpit Arts, was also a first-prize winner at New Designers 2018. Majeda’s time at Cockpit Arts paid off, earning her the One Year in Development Award.

Majeda said, ‘I’m so excited about [this award], as it recognises mypractice amongst my peers. I exhibitedalongside some incredibly strongmakers, and to win this award is a realconfirmation of how far my work hascome since I began just two years ago. Ihave had the opportunity to develop mypractice with the help of a Cockpit Arts/ The Clothworkers’ Company Awardand now feel completely confident ofsuccess as I move on to the next phaseof my business.’

Cockpit Arts has welcomed four new makers to follow in Majeda’s wake. The following talented craftswomen have recently taken up residence at the creative business incubator:

• Poppy Fuller Abbott, who has an experimental approach and uses a sustainable paper yarn in her textiles.

• Elizabeth Ashdown, who creates often-elaborate trimmings (passementerie) for garments and interior furnishings.

• Vicky Cowin, who graduated in 2016 and is already gaining recognition for her work as an Elle Decoration Award winner.

• Sophie Graney, who integrates unusual materials in her weaving and has plans to work with product designers as part of her business.

“I’m so excited about [this award], as it recognises my practice amongst my peers ... I exhibited alongside some incredibly strong makers, and to win this award is a real confirmation of how far my work has come since I began...”

Majeda Clarke, from Cockpit Arts.