Several of our graduates showing this week at the Dutch exhibition ‘iFABRIC’ at the Tilburg Textile Museum, with Kate Goldsworthy opening the exhibition with a ‘Textiles Futures’ presentation on Friday 23 September alongside Christine de Baan, program director of Dutch Design, Fashion and Architecture.

Designers featured include:

• Natsai A. Chieza
• Berit Greinke
• Siwen Huang
• Laura Martinez
• Elaine Ng Yan Ling
• Marin Sawa
• Elisa Strozyk

The museum presents a young generation of highly promising designers from Europe who are active in the fields of fashion, interior textiles and design. There is a striking interest in the latest scientific developments, such as those in microbiology, which often results in collaboration with biologists and chemists.

Another aspect that stands out is the consideration for the emotional aspects of fashion and design, which places a greater focus on the material and the surface structure of objects. But what does the actual practice that awaits them involve?

i FABRIC is one of the highlights of the cultural programme of the Tilburg Textiles event, which is being organized in the context of 2018Brabant. BCXSY, the studio of the young designers Boaz Cohen and Sayaka Yamamoto, is responsible for the exhibition’s graphic and spatial design, as well as for the design of the accompanying publication.

Museum address:
Goirkestraat 96 5046 GN Tilburg,
The Netherlands

Telephone: +31 (0)13 53 67 475

More:
- MA Textile Futures website
- Tilburg Textile Museum website

Recent graduate Amy Congdon is currently undertaking a 3 month residency at SymbioticA in Perth, Western Australia. Looking at exploring the idea of ‘bespoke biological textiles’ Amy is attempting to grow skin cells over her completely embroidered textile scaffolds.

As a designer engaging with science, Amy is exploring the blurring of roles between these disciplines and learning tissue culture as a technique through which to engage with using life as a raw material for her work.

“Bespoke is often considered the height of luxury, with pieces being individually made for a client.  What if in the future we are able to have biologically bespoke pieces made, would we want them, what form could they take and most importantly should we be allowed to have them?  Designers will have increasingly important roles to play, not only in their designs but also in their choice of materials.  Removed from their source do our cells, and the cells of others, become the ultimate commodity?”

More:
- MA Textile Futures course page
- Amy Congdon on the SymbioticA website
- Amy Congdon’s website

We’re proud to learn that film star and DCL alumnus Michael Fassbender has won the prestigious Best Actor award at the Venice Film Festival for his performance in Steve McQueen’s film “Shame”.

Michael has three films opening in the near future and provided the cover and main feature of a recent Sunday Times “Culture” section, where his “brilliant” combination of transformative acting and personal charisma was said to place him in a strong position to become the next James Bond.

Visit the Drama Centre London area of our website

Six of the fifteen graduates in Icon’s feature on names to watch are CSM alumni. Extra respect to MA Textile Futures who can even boast of two ex-students: Amy Pliszka and Priyanka Gaitonde.

We wish them all great success!

Visit the MA Textile Futures course page

Congratulations to Jesús Madriñán who’s won second place in ‘Non-Professional, Portrait’ in this year’s IPA World Photography Awards.

Visit:
- The MA Photography course page
- IPA World Photography Awards website
- See more of Jesús Madriñán’s work

Seven MA Textile Futures graduates have been selected for the upcoming exhibition, I FABRIC. EUROPEAN TALENT, at the Audax Textile Museum, Tilburg, which runs from 24 September 2011 to 29 January 2012. They are:

Natsai A. Chieza
Berit Greinke
Siwen Huang
Laura Martinez
Elaine Ng Yan Ling
Marin Sawa
Elise Strozyk

The i FABRIC. European Talent exhibition, Audax Textielmuseum Tilburg presents a young generation of highly promising designers from Europe who are active in the fields of fashion, interior textiles and design.  i FABRIC is one of the highlights of the cultural programme of the Tilburg Textiles event, which is being organized in the context of 2018 Brabant Cultural Capital of Europe.

The exhibition’s curator Suzan Rüsseler comments:

“The work with the most futuristic look is presented by students of the MA Textile Futures course at the Central St. Martins College of Art & Design in London.  In her installation Algaerium, Marin Sawa created a series of ‘living’ textiles by using light-sensitive algae that grow in unusual forms. With her project Design Fictions, Natsai A. Chieza asks critical questions about the possible cultural and environmental implications of synthetic biology and stem-cell research, while in her Techno Naturology project Elaine Ng Yan Ling investigates the function of ‘shape memory’ materials and their potential applications in architecture and interiors.”

Read the press release [Word]

MA Show 2011, image credit: catwalking.com

Shaun Samson was awarded the coveted Collection of the Year award and €15,000 at the 10TH anniversary of the International Talent Support Prize in Trieste, Italy last weekend.

The San Diego- born designer showed a men’s knitwear collection that combined argyle knits, tartan and flannel with technical complexity and understated shapes. 

“I am so grateful to ITS and the jurors (who included Hilary Alexander, Viktor & Rolf, Antonio Berardi, Renzo Rosso and Mandi Lennard) who provided me with the foundations of which I can build my dreams on”, he said.

Shaun will be showing his collection at London Fashion Week this September with Fashion East and is developing a Womenswear line.

More:
- Vogue
- Telegraph

The Costume Institute Gala at the Metroplitan Museum in New York on Monday 2nd May 2011 launched the new exhibition, Alexander McQueen, Savage Beauty.

Celebrating CSM alumnus, Alexander McQueen’s work over his tragically short, but dazzling career, the show is rich with his ideas, skills and beautiful garments. Sarah Burton (fellow CSM alumna, the Creative Director for Alexander McQueen, and designer of Kate Middleton’s wedding dress) was among those present to pay tribute to her mentor’s prodigious talent.

The Gala was co-hosted by Stella McCartney (also ex-CSM) and Colin Firth (who is an alumnus of Central Saint Martins Drama Centre).

The exhibition will run until 31st July 2011.

Visit:
- Metropolitan Museum exhibition website
- Alexander McQueen’s ‘Savage Beauty’ honoured in style (Telegraph)
- Alexander McQueen in All His Dark Glory (NYT)

Official Royal Wedding photograph by Hugo Burnand

So the rumour turned out to be true – Alexander McQueen’s Sarah Burton designed Kate Middleton’s wedding dress to much acclaim.

The bride looked elegant and regal in hand-engineered lace made by the Royal School of needlework which was used on the sleeves bodice, skirt and train. Bridesmaid, Pippa Middleton, also wore Alexander McQueen and for the evening party, Kate changed into another McQueen – white and very simple with a crystal belt.

The party wasn’t over for Sarah Burton however, as the Costume Institute Gala celebrated the opening of the new ‘Alexander McQueen – Savage Beauty’ exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum in New York last night.

Quite a weekend for Sarah Burton and the house of Alexander McQueen.

Sarah Burton graduated from BA Fashion (Print pathway) in 1998 and went straight to Alexander McQueen where she worked very closely with him until his death last year when she took on his role of Creative Director.

More:

• Kate’s dress made by Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen (The Independent)
• Finally! Sarah Burton talks (Grazia)
• Sarah Burton, the royal wedding dress designer who will avoid the limelight
  (The Guardian)

2011 Golden Shears winner Yingmei Quan and her winning garment

We’re proud of our alumna Yingmei Quan for winning the Golden Shears competition, the Oscars of the tailoring world. The biennial event seeks out the best in emerging tailoring talent, taking into account each designer’s technical skills and style.

At a catwalk show for some 350 people at the Merchant Taylors’ Hall in Threadneedle Street, London, Chinese-born Yingmei Quan secured the Golden Shears trophy and £2,000. The prize at this biennial festival supports young people learning the craft of hand tailoring men’s and women’s wear.

Yingmei was one of 24 of an initial 54 entrants. She works at Welsh & Jeffries, military tailor to the Prince of Wales, based at 20 Savile Row. There were military references in her tailored women’s frockcoat in a fawn and grey fleur-de-lys patterned worsted cloth, teamed with slimline grey flannel trousers piped with the coat fabric. The coat was decorated with military-style frogging and trimmed with delicate braid usually seen only on vintage uniforms.

“It’s very hard to find these days but at Welsh & Jeffries we have the right connections,” she said. The subtle structure of the chest area was achieved through interior canvas and the horsehair that is part of the bespoke tradition.

Visit:
- BA (Honours) Fashion
- MA Fashion