Saturday 23 June 2012

My Design


Here is some fabric that I designed for my last project this term. The flower-like shapes were actually inspired by the lotus root (a vegetable often used in Japanese dishes) The colours come from spring flowers like daffodils. I originally designed it will garden furniture in mind, but found a competition to design a tent so this is the design I came up with. 
To get to the judging stage I need my design to be in the top 3 so if anyone wouldn't mind voting I would really appreciate it, you literally click vote and that is it, only takes a second! https://apps.facebook.com/contestshq/contests/227826/voteable_entries/53256681
I would absolutely LOVE my design to be made into the real thing, would be amazing!

Thursday 21 June 2012

Lovely Paintings

Love the kitties :)
Came across a great artist today called Richard Friend, I absolutely love his paintings! The colours are gorgeous together and I love all of the patterns and textures. The kitties in his paintings make me love them even more! Here are a few of my favourites...

Pretty Purple :)
One of my favourites, reminds me of a patchwork quilt!
 If you want to check out more of his work here's the link to his Facebook page, he also has some great giveaways going on at the moment! https://www.facebook.com/r1chp4ge

Tuesday 19 June 2012

Summer Sunnies




I absolutely LOVE Ray Ban sunglasses, especially these gorgeous ones! I love the classic black frame, they would go with anything! They are also unisex so ideal for everyone, I want some!!

http://www.smartbuyglasses.co.uk/designer-sunglasses/Ray-Ban/Ray-Ban-RB2140-Original-Wayfarer-Polarized-9O2-57-5668.html

Or there are these lovely tortoiseshell ones which are equally gorgeous, and are also unisex!


These are just a couple of my favourites, but there are many more so check them out here: http://www.smartbuyglasses.co.uk

Tuesday 17 April 2012

Design Competition

So I'm pretty sure I have annoyed the hell out of everyone by going on about it, but I am in first place to win a holiday to Miami in an interior design competition run by Trident insurance! Check out their website if you are interested in interior design, they post some really interesting and quirky stuff on there! If you could throw a vote my way while you're there that would be great, it's the pic that says March 21st under (middle right)
https://www.facebook.com/therealtrident/app_279467752083815

Monday 2 April 2012

Pavilion Hotel



The Pavilion Hotel near Hyde Park looks absolutely amazing! The rooms are each individually designed and have their own themes (and quirky names!), and they all look superb! I would love to join the supermodels, actors, famous musicians and TV stars that have graced this hotel with their presence! And as if staying in the same hotel isn’t enough, I could visit the celebs (or at least very good models of them) at the nearby Madame Tussauds famous waxwork museum. Another nearby attraction that I would love to visit is Hyde Park, where I could voice my opinion in the famous ‘speakers corner’ and visit the beautiful and historical Marble Arch. I could then head down Edgeware Road and take my pick of restaurants (sushi is my delicacy of choice!)
So, amazing decor throughout and close to so many attractions, this seems like the perfect place to stay for a great few days in London!

Monday 20 February 2012

Summary

I have found it very interesting researching Kente cloth. I love all the bright colours and definitely want to use more of these in my work. I also like how the cloth is made up of lots of small pieces of weaving attached together. I would like to use this technique in my work, not just with weaving but with a range of different materials. For example, rather than printing onto a large piece of fabric I could print onto lots of small pieces and then stitch them together. Another aspect of Kente cloth that I have found interesting is the symbolic meaning of the patterns and colours. It has made me consider how colours affect us and what significance they may have. It has also made me think about how clothes can symbolise status, and certain people wear certain types/styles of clothes. I think that doing this research has definitely had an effect on my work, and people who have seen my samples have said that they look very African inspired.

Friday 17 February 2012

Contemporary African Interior Design

http://www.architonic.com/ntsht/trends-salone-del-mobile-milano-2009/7000308
 
Phillipe Bestenheider

African textiles in general have a great influence on modern day design, Kente in particular because of its bright colours and geometric shapes. This chair by Philippe Bestenheider is an excellent example of this. He has taken a traditional Kente pattern and woven it in striking colours. This is made more contemporary by the modern minimalist shape of the chair itself. "The weaving with textile bands in contrasting colours creates a unique pattern which recalls the Kente fabrics from Ghana." (http://www.architonic.com/pmsht/kente-varaschin/1106039)

http://www.anthropologie.eu/en/uk/for-your-home/icat/forhome/

Tord Boontje

On the right is a chair by Tord Boontje inspired by Kente cloth and traditional African weaving. The chairs are made contemporary by the use of digitally drawn patterns and woven using coloured plastic threads. The plastic thread used is the same vibrant nylon cord that is used to weave fishing nets in Senegal , a country in West Africa.

Thursday 16 February 2012

Kente in Contemporary Fashion

http://www.thehemmacollection.com/index.php?action=collection&collection_id=4
 Blue symbolises peace, gold represents royalty. 
This pattern means duality.
 Hemma
 Hemma is a fashion collection created by designers Cindy Gaston and Edna Bissoon. After a trip to Ghana, where they both fell in love with African fashion and textiles, they launched a collection of luxury womenswear that incorporates the same traditional techniques that have been used to weave fabrics for African nobility for centuries. They were particularly inspired by the intricately handwoven Kente and, drawing from its rich history, they began incorporating it into their designs. The bold colours and geometric shapes are all typical of Kente cloth, but the cloth is fashioned in a more contemporary style.
http://www.thehemmacollection.com/index.php?action=collection&collection_id=7
Purple symbolises healing.
Yellow represents vitality. This pattern means luxury.
http://www.thehemmacollection.com/index
.php?action=detail_page&product_id=16
Yellow symbolises vitality. 
Green represents prosperity. 
Black symbolises personal growth. 
This pattern means courage.

 






















  



Alex Boakye

http://www.novica.com/itemdetail/index.cfm?pid=174667
Woven with a cotton and rayon blend, the kente motifs on this bag are underscored by bright pink, which is symbolic of the female essence of life. According to Akan beliefs, pink is associated with tenderness, pleasantness and sweetness.

Alex Boakye was born in Bonwire, a village in the Ashanti Kingdom renowned for Kente weaving. His father was a master weaver and taught him from a very young age. He now has his own workshop where he works alongside five other weavers. They specialise in handbags made from Kente cloth and thrive to create contemporary designs that still incorporate traditional patterns and processes. Historically, kente was reserved for special occasions, festive and or sacred. Now kente artistry stands as a symbol of prestige, cheerfulness and glamour.


History of Kente Cloth


 Kente is a brilliantly coloured fabric that is hand-woven by Ghanaian weavers. The origins of Kente Cloth date back to 12th century Africa, where it was worn by Kings, Queens, and important figures in Ghana's society during ceremonial events and special occasions. The word "Kente" comes from the word "kenten", which means basket. The very first Kente weavers used raffia, or palm leaf fibres, and wove them into a cloth that looked like a basket, which is why it was given this name. 

http://foxyartstudio.blogspot.com/2009/03/ghana-kente-cloth-2.html - accessed 04/02/12
 Ghana's weavers used looms to make four inch wide strips of Kente cloth, and wove the strips together to form larger garments.

There are more than 300 different patterns of Kente cloth, each pattern with a name and its own meaning. The meanings come from past events, religious beliefs, political ideas, and social customs. The colours used also have their own meanings, for example red represents death or bloodshed and was often worn during political rallies. 

http://foxyartstudio.blogspot.com/2009/03/ghana-kente-cloth-2.html - accessed 04/02/12
 This pattern is called ‘Sika Futoro’ which means “gold dust”.  Before the use of coins and paper as money, gold dust was used as a medium of exchange among the Akan peoples and was therefore considered as a symbol of wealth and prosperity. The predominant use of intricately textured patterns in yellows, orange and reds replicate the visual characteristics of gold dust. The cloth symbolises wealth, royalty, elegance, spiritual purity and honourable achievement.

http://home.roadrunner.com/~osofo/kente.htm - accessed 15/02/12

The men wore the cloth in the same way the Toga was worn by the ancient Greeks, whereas women usually wore the cloth in 3 pieces. Each piece was about two yards long. One piece was wrapped around the waist to form a floor length skirt worn over a blouse specially sewn together in plain material. The other cloth was either used as a stole, or shawl or hung loosely over the arm.