Arts Thread

Remnants of Elegance explores traditional textiles through a modern lens. Inspired by 19th-century fashion, lace, and stately homes, I combined knit and crochet with materials like vintage lace, leather, and natural yarns to create soft, detailed samples. My process involved experimenting with natural dyeing to reduce environmental impact, I also worked with machinery in unconventional ways to explore texture and structure. I have also experimented with adding different materials directly onto machinery to help create seamless transitions between knit and fabric. Materials were a key inspiration throughout this project. I aimed to push boundaries by working with a variety of natural fibres, including cotton, silk, leather, and paper. While I prioritised natural materials, most of what I used was donated, deadstock, or second-hand, including some synthetic elements like beads and trims sourced from charity shops. This approach allowed me to minimise waste and give existing materials new life as part of my design process. This collection reflects my interest in blending history with contemporary design - honouring old materials and techniques while pushing them in new directions. Throughout this project, I have also expanded my technical skillset involving Shima Apex Fiz design software, as well as learning how to create accurate AI prompts to form generative AI imagery using MidJourney. Both of these processes have helped me to develop my samples.