Sarah Burton « KNITkicks

June 24, 2009...3:45 pm

Sarah Burton

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Sarah Burton, 22. Manchester School of Art

Design Background:
Nominated for the River Island Gold Award and won the Pringle of Scotland Visionary Knitwear Award at GFW 2009.

What was the concept behind your collection?
I really wanted my clothes to take on characteristics that are not usually typical of knitwear, with particular emphasis on the movement and fit of the garments when worn. I took inspiration for my garments from uniforms, and I wanted to take the element of conformity from this and balance it with something more playful and sexy.

What machine(s) did you use for your collection/or what techniques did you use?
I used mainly 7 and 10 gauge Dubied machines to knit the pieces, I worked into the fabrics by hand using techniques such as plaiting, braiding and knotting to create the detail.

Where do you get your inspiration from?
This project was initially inspired by the drape and contours found in ropes. I like looking at clothes from the past, whether it be military uniforms or 1920’s glamour and finding ideas to fuse together.

What made you pursue knitwear?
I like how much control you have over every aspect of knitted clothing. It seemed like there was vast potential for experimenting extensively with different techniques and therefore developing a personal style.

Which was the most difficult garment to make out of your collection?
The cape/shoulder section of the purple dress was horrible. Because I was using viscose which is tough anyway, the stitch size had to be small because of the plaits that I wanted to insert afterwards, and the pattern was a bizarre shape, every row felt like it would break or fall off. Somehow I got it off the machine.. I wasn’t happy with it but couldn’t face doing it again!

Which piece out of your collection took the longest to make?
It was probably the layered, fringed jacket. The base garment was fairly easy to make but the fringing was so time consuming and there were a lot of layers. The first time that I trimmed the front it was too short and didn’t work, so I had to ‘un-fringe’ and then re-do it. Cutting it was stressful because of the time that had gone into fringing it and the fact that it was easily ruined.

What have your highest and lowest points been during your degree?
The highest was obviously GFW and just seeing my clothes being worn. I wasn’t even expecting to be there because I am a Textiles student so my course wasn’t geared up to preparing you for anything like that. It was all very last minute so that was quite emotional when it all happened. There were numerous low points and sacrifices that I had to make. The lack of a social life and normality got to me, especially towards the end, but that is all forgotten very quickly when you see what you have achieved and get good feedback on your work.

What are your plans for your career after graduation?
I would love to gain experience working for a knitwear/design company or possibly even pursue an MA within the next few years.

What advice would you give to students going into their final year?
When it gets too hard just think of the final outcome rather than the ‘here and now’. It’s easier when you put it into context.