Please explain Hutterite?

The final brief of my degree was to produce an innovative 6 outfit collection, all of which had to be pattern cut and constructed, as well as styled for the catwalk show. Along with this a portfolio and sketchbooks had to be produced to support my collection, consisting of designs, development, fabric choice, illustrations, technical flats, mood boards and inspiration boards. Having throughly read my brief, the theme of Hutterite was chosen. I knew very little about the Hutterites, only that they were a communal group not dissimilar to the Amish. After much research I found that in contrast to the plain look of the Amish, Hutterites wear clothing that is often vividly coloured. The proportions and fabric combinations are simple yet unexpected. Using Hutterites as the subject of my final collection I focused on the fabric choice, whilst keeping the silhouette and shape quite plain. In order to make this collection successful and to answer the brief the details of the garments had to considered extremely carefully as well as using screen and digital prints to achieve the fabric that I desired.

How did you go about choosing the fabrics to print on?

I was keen to use devore in my collection and to create a modern print that fitted in with my theme of Hutterite. The fabric i used for this method was a silk and cotton mix velvet. As this was quite a luxurious fabric it was important for me to continue this quality throughout my collection, where possible. Overall for the printed textiles I tended to use fabrics that were made up of natural fibres as they have better absorption qualities which means that when printed on the colour produced is more intense. As well as screen and digital prints pattered fabric was also created using bleach and the tie-dyeing method. This was generally used on coloured 100% viscose jersey, as it was difficult to find patterned stretch fabric.

Describe your perfect day

I would have to say that my perfect day would be listening to live music with a group of friends, preferably outside in the rain.

Essential skills to evolve into a brilliant designer?

Some essential skills to evolve into a brilliant designer I would say are being up to date with computer programs such as Adobe Illustrator, InDesign and Photoshop, even knowing the basics of these is extremely helpful. In addition drawing skills are necessary to enable a designer to indicate fabric, detail and garments successfully. One of the main skills, I believe, to evolve into a brilliant designer I feel is innovation and creativity, the ability to push the boundaries of existing fashion and take it to a new level.

I’m fantastic at what I do because…?

I am fantastic at that I do because I am constantly eager to learn more. I keep up to date with current trends and use these to push my designs further. Some skills that I have worked on throughout my degree are pattern cutting, using Adobe Illustrator to produce accurate technical flats, screen and digital printing, specialising in devore, as well as being and extremely competent machinist.

What do you think of Stella McCartney’s Olympic Design?

In comparison to some of the public I actually believe that McCartney’s designs are incredibly successful. The striking visual that is coherent across all of the apparel unifies all 46 sports. Although many think that the removal of red from the flag print on the design is unacceptable, I view it as a breath of fresh air, bringing together the traditional and the modern, as well as still keeping British Identity. I don’t understand why there is such outrage when red has still be featured elsewhere on the garments.

Contact Amy Whitelaw to discuss collaboration.