Chelsea's Textile Design graduates: weaving paths to success
- Written byEuan McLaren
- Published date 17 May 2024
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From embroidering for hit Netflix shows, working in interior and home design and the automative industry, to bio-materials and the world of fashion: our Textile Design graduates from Chelsea College of Arts perfectly illustrate why the world needs creativity.
As we approach this year’s graduate Shows 2024, we caught up with some of our past graduates from across our Textile Design courses. We spoke to graduates about their time studying at Chelsea, current projects and aspirations, and the vibrant and varied paths they have taken since graduating.
Rosie Brain, BA Textile Design class of 2020
What attracted you to study Textile Design at Chelsea College of Arts?
I was drawn to the BA Textile Design course at Chelsea because of the broad variety of work I saw while attending the annual graduate Shows. I was excited by the creative freedom that the course offered, along with the range of facilities available.
Do you have a favourite memory from your time studying at Chelsea?
Early on during my first year we had a drawing workshop where we each had to draw a tiny section of William Hogarth’s ‘Gin Lane’ on a piece of A1 paper. It gave me a lot of confidence in my drawing skills, which was particularly important when I came to focus on stiching, as drawing was so essential for developing our ideas.
Can you tell us a bit about what you do now or something you are currently working on?
After graduating I trained on the Irish embroidery machine at Rachel Rousham Embroidery, where I have since assisted on various projects in fashion, interiors, film/TV and stage. I now work as a freelance embroiderer. Every day is different. I create embroidery for clients and brands, including repairs and bespoke projects. I’ve worked on costumes for Netflix’s Bridgerton, live activations at events (Dickies, Sézane), and content creation (Pull&Bear, Ecover). Last spring I worked on my first project for Madame Tussauds, making freehand satin-stitched and sequin embroidery appliques inspired by 3 iconic Harry Styles outfits. Recently I have been collaborating with New York-based animator Traceloops to create abstract embroidered animations which has been really fun!
Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now?
I would love to get back into making sculptural textile pieces and having the opportunity to exhibit them. I’d also love to be doing more costume embroidery work, as well as collaborating with more artists and designers on large scale projects.
Hctim Ignulak, BA Textile Design class of 2022
What attracted you to study Textile Design at Chelsea College of Arts?
For me, it was the facilities, the diversity at the College and my willingness to learn and share knowledge and skills I've sharpened or gained to the youth and women that can't afford to go to university back home in my motherland.
Can you tell us a bit about what you do now or something you are currently working on?
I'm studying at Parsons School of Design in New York City doing Fashion Design and Society MFA. I also have a label called IGNULAK HCTIM which is currently focusing on womenswear and accessories with plans to become unisex. With no particular body in mind, my mission is to empower women while fostering community through craftsmanship and education.
Since graduating, has there been a stand-out project that you have most enjoyed working on?
Myself- I'm my biggest stand out project, my namesake label.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now?
I hope to be presenting collections in Paris, Milan and New York fashion weeks, growing my mother's foundation, which focuses on women's and children's rights to education, and developing my creativity and skills.
Katy de Beer, Graduate Diploma Textile Design class of 2022, MA Textile Design class of 2023
What attracted you to study Textile Design at Chelsea College of Arts?
I was initially attracted to Chelsea College of Arts as they offered courses with a focus on sustainable and responsible design. The Graduate Diploma Textile Design course introduced me to many important topics across textile design, such as decolonising textiles and bio-inspired design. As I don’t have a textiles background prior to studying at Chelsea, the Graduate Diploma helped me to build a solid foundation of practical and research skills before studying MA Textile Design. During my Masters, I was able to delve deeper into themes I was drawn to in my Graduate Diploma, and I ended up working a lot with biomaterials, developing a hard material made from cuttlefish bones.
Do you have a favourite memory from your time studying at Chelsea?
My friend and I were lucky enough to be selected to design and work with artisans in India through the Khadi London competition. It was an incredible opportunity, not only to celebrate Indian craft and natural fibres and dying, but I learnt so much and we displayed our designs at an exhibition in central London.
Can you tell us a bit about what you do now and/or something you are currently working on?
I’m currently interning at the Colour, Material, Finish (CMF) design agency Colour of Saying. While studying the MA, I gate-crashed a BA workshop with Laura Perryman (the founder of Colour of Saying) and applied to be her Studio Assistant shortly after. CMF is an area of design that I wasn’t familiar with until I studied at Chelsea, and I’m really excited to now be working in this field.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now?
I’m really enjoying the diversity of projects that you come across in CMF design, researching both hard and soft materials and learning a lot about colour application in different contexts. I hope to further my industry experience in this area over the next five years and maybe one day have my own practice.
Maddie Rees, BA Textile Design class of 2022
What attracted you to study Textile Design at Chelsea College of Arts?
The opportunities to explore lots of different techniques and mediums is what attracted me to study at Chelsea. For example, I specialised in print but ended up incorporating a lot of ceramics into my work.
Can you tell us a bit about what you do now and/or something you are currently working on?
I'm currently working as a Design Assistant for House and Home at TOAST. The role is super varied and very textile focused, often I'm helping to design quilts, throws and cushions. And in my spare time doing lots of knitting!
Since graduating, has there been a stand-out project that you have most enjoyed workingon?
My stand-out project has been my window show at Window 135. Window 135 is a studio and gallery space run by Tim Jones and Meena Chodha. I'm really inspired by the way they work and use their space, so I felt super lucky to be able to reshare my graduate project that I featured at my graduate Show.
What motivates or inspires your artistic practice?
I'm very inspired by how people curate their spaces and homes. Particularly places like 2 Willow Road in Hampstead and Kettles Yard in Cambridge.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now?
I'd love to still be working in homeware design and developing my own practice!
Libby Carpenter, BA Textile Design class of 2022
Do you have a favourite memory from your time studying at Chelsea College of Arts?
Yes – spending time in the studio space. I look back fondly at being in the print studios chatting and working away. It’s way more valuable than I realised to get input from your peers while working in a creative space.
Can you tell us a bit about what you do now or something you are currently working on?
I am currently working as a Colour, Material, Finish (CMF) designer in the automotive industry. It’s very new to me and I’m still getting to grips with the role. I’ve recently been working collaboratively to create stories around car exterior colours aligned with the brand identities and creating immersive pack strategy movies to effectively communicate design stories for colour selections.
What motivates or inspires your artistic practice?
I just really love colour and materials; I find it really interesting and exciting. I love trying endless pairing and seeing how they work together.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now?
Hopefully further along in the CMF industry working on some colourful projects!