Emily Hayes
Textile Design BA Hons
Loughborough University
Specialisms: Textiles - Concept / Textiles - Mixed Media / Textile Innovation/Textile Art
Location: Munich, Germany
Emily Hayes
First Name: Emily
Last Name: Hayes
Specialisms: Textiles - Concept / Textiles - Mixed Media / Textile Innovation/Textile Art
Sectors:
My Location: Munich, Germany
University / College: Loughborough University
Course / Program Title: Textile Design BA Hons
About
I’m a textile designer with a love for books, patterns, and hidden details. Much of my work is inspired by literature, history, and the ways stories can be preserved or erased. I use techniques like origami tessellation, smocking, and dyeing to create textiles that shift with light and touch, encouraging people to slow down and look closely. Whether I’m working with fabric, thread, or dye, I’m drawn to designs that reveal more the longer you spend with them.
Hidden in Plain sight
During World War II, thousands of books from the Bavarian State Library were hidden in the chapel of Schloss Haimhausen, later my school. This story of rescue and its link to my own life, inspired my exploration of books as symbols of memory and censorship. From ancient book burnings to modern bans in the US and UK, the control of knowledge persists. My textiles use optical illusions, labyrinth forms, and tessellations to explore visibility and erasure. Influenced by Umberto Eco, Eric Gjerde, and M.C. Escher, I create ash-toned, illusion-based fabrics that invite close reading, echoing the act of uncovering hidden histories.
Competitions
