Beatrice K Newman, 21. De Montfort University.
Design Background:
I worked for Danielle Scutt for 2/3 months last summer. I helped out with pattern cutting and sewing, and sewed 3-4 final outfits that went onto her catwalk. Work experience at Saville Row for the tailors Maurice Sedwell. I have also been fortunate enough to become a finalist in the MaxMara competition and the FAD competition, from which I had to make up 2 of my designs and watched it go down the catwalk at a London venue during fashion week. Also winning the Frame work Knitters Guild scholarship to help with my knitwear development.
What was the concept behind your collection?
THE OPULANCE OF EMPIRES 1: Arabian nights and the Tsars
The opulence of empires explores the beauty of past empires celebrating the impressive ceremonial dress and uniforms of Emperors and officials of the Russian Court. It explores detail on the fine tailoring of garments, especially the royal military and the fine craftsmanship of embroidery and high quality textiles.
Main inspiration is taken from the last Russian royal family – The Tsars and from the beautiful illustrations of Edmund Dulac from the storybook 1001 Arabian Nights.
I have merged both concepts together as to broaden my design ideas and produce a collection full of rich textiles and unique media.
Illustrations by Edmund Dulac conjure up the feeling of an opulent setting that inspired me very much when I was young. The fine brocade and elegant presentation of each page in the storybook aroused a desire of want as if the item being viewed was of precious stone. It is this very feeling I want viewers to feel when seeing my collection, and so have chosen both concepts and merged them together for a collection that will be full of unique and explored textiles, embellishment and embroidery.
Did you design your collection with a particular person in your mind?
GRACE JONES!! And the Bond women. She’s highly seductive and dangerous. She lets her clothes and attitude do the talking. She has a very sly demeanour and is very confident.
What machine did you use for your collection and what techniques did you use?
I used the standard domestic brother knitting machine. The techniques I have used are fairaisle, rouleau, fringing, lace, short row, rib, crochet, macramé, twisting and weaving
Where do you get inspiration from?
Designers such as Jean Paul Gaultier, who uses textiles and surface embellishment like crazy and produces beautiful creations. A lot of my inspiration also comes from my concept at the time of designing, art at the national gallery especially by Fragonard and Botticelli, and my African culture
What made you pursue knitwear?
Being at university and having to learn and incorporate knitwear into certain projects made me become more interested and aware in practicing more techniques and skills thus allowing me to pursue knit on a more deeper and advancing level. I’ve also been encouraged by my personal tutors who took interest in my development of knit and pushed me to go further.
Why did you choose to go to De Montfort?
Amongst all the university’s that I visited, it seemed to be the most unique in fashion, and open to the new ideas of students who want express themselves on the course. I think the course is excellent and unique. You learn so much within the 3 years that you are there that you probably wouldn’t have been able to learn anywhere else. It teaches you not only fashion but about yourself. Your strengths and weaknesses and what you can do to build on them.
Which was the most difficult garment to make out of your collection?
The one that never made it! It was this chain mail knit that took me over 4 weeks to knit and another 3 to try to put together. It was so delicate and fragile because the jump rings I used kept catching onto the knit thus creating a lot of laddering and pulled ends. It was heart breaking not to see it go on the catwalk, knowing that I wasted so much time knitting it when I could have been thinking or knitting a better garment. In all the whole collection was a nightmare to knit, because I was using very delicate yarns and they kept catching and creating unpleasant holes in the garments.
What have your highest and lowest points been during your degree?
My highest would be getting praised for my 2nd year print project, the tutors commented on it which they never do in public!! And getting through to competitions such as MaxMara and FAD. The lowest would be oversleeping due to working my self sick and missing important classes and a catwalk!! And never ever being able to finish on time!!
What advice would you give to students going into their final year?
PLAN WELL!!! If an idea isn’t working be sure to rectify it as soon as possible. Also step back from your collection and view it as a line up as much as you can, there’s nothing worse than doing a collection and realising when you have finished that you could have done something so much more better.
What do you wish you had known at the start of university?
How lonely life would get. People will love you, people will hate you. Qui sera sera.
Describe your design signature in 3 words:
Sexy, Seductive, Sensual.
Where would you like to see yourself in 5 years time?
On top of fashion and a brand name.
Will you be selling your collection?
Yes, no, maybe.
Images from Beatrice and catwalking.com
4 Comments
June 21, 2009 at 6:22 pm
I love this collection, one of my fav of the grad collections also the interview is a great read, keep them coming
June 17, 2009 at 4:46 am
This is so cool! I love the dense knit interspersed with lacier knit.
I’d love to trade links. I just linked you
June 16, 2009 at 5:29 pm
Her work is stunnningggg.
Wish I could’ve been at GFW
June 16, 2009 at 9:42 am
Hey, thanks for passing by my blog i’m glad you liked it
if you can become a follower please do! Thanks for this interview i love reading graduate interviews, her work is amazing and she seems like a nice girl too!
Chelsea