Vic is the designer behind the homewares label Bind | Fold.  Vic uses traditional techniques and natural indigo to dye her small range of bedding and kitchen textiles available through Etsy.  In her spare time, she knits – A lot!  Vic has very generously offered RMIT fashion and textiles students 15% off any workshop bookings – valid until the end of February 2017.  Students can register on the website Bind | Fold using the code ILOVERMIT.  Students will need to present their student card at the start of workshops.

Photo by Annette O’Brien for The Design Files.

We asked Vic to answer a few questions about why she decided to embark on a three year BA textile design degree at RMIT.

Tell me a little bit about your background – how did you come to textiles and where has it led you?

I’ve always been interested in visual arts, and studied photography at SCA just out of high school in the late 90’s.  I didn’t pursue a creative career and ended up working in IT until 2010 – when I finished work to start a family.  It was when I was at home with a newborn that I really returned to being creative.  I taught myself how to sew and knit, and wanted to design my own printed textiles, but somehow started out dyeing fabric first!  One thing led to another and I started my own label called Bind | Fold where I work mostly with natural indigo to create homewares and accessories using different surface design techniques.

What led you to study textile design at RMIT?

I’ve had the pleasure of meeting a few past students and their work was always incredibly impressive, so I knew I had to come to RMIT and do the BATD myself.  Ever since I heard I could get a degree in knitting it’s been on my mind, and with my son now at school, I thought “why not?”

What is your career dream or goal when you graduate?

It’s really hard to say!  There are just so many things I am interested in.  I’d love to design over the top knitwear, as well as everyday knitwear, but I quite like the idea of working in costume design too!  I’m also quite keen to see the Australian textile industry return to manufacturing at home too, so working with companies to get that happening would be interesting, and no doubt rewarding.

What role do you think design will play in the future? What are its potentials and its challenges?

I think textile design has the potential to change lives, both on a personal and a social level.  We (as designers) have a responsibility to seek out and / or establish ethical supply chains that work within the planet’s finite resources.  Understanding where a fabric has come from; where it was grown etc., is in my mind, a really important step towards the sustainable and ethical production of all textiles.

Feature Image: Portrait photo by Sean Fennessy for The Design Files 

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Image: Manna Ly adds a hand painted touch to the exhibition signage – All images courtesy the Bower team

Image: Manna Ly with nest at the opening of Bower – all images courtesy the Bower artists

Image: Collected Materials by Bree Ellett – All images courtesy the Bower team

Image: ‘collected Seed pods’ by Stephanie Rushworth – All images courtesy the Bower artists

Image: Haphazard nest making by Bree Ellett – All images courtesy the Bower artists

Image: ‘Making it up as I go’  by Bree Ellett – All images courtesy the Bower artists

Image: ‘Been raging against this cage all day’  by Manna Ly – All images courtesy the Bower artists

Image: ‘rope, alpaca, wool, cotton, wire & clay’  by Camilla Rogers- All images courtesy the Bower artists

Image: ‘getting ready for a day of bowercrafting’  by Camilla Stirling – All images courtesy the Bower artists

Image: ‘Woven Nest’  by Camilla Stirling- All images courtesy the Bower artists

Image: ‘Bower – Protea, silk remnants’  by Camilla Stirling – All images courtesy the Bower artists

Image: ‘Bower installation’  by Eileen Braybrook – All images courtesy the Bower artists

Image: ‘Bower – a special nest’  by Eileen Braybrook – All images courtesy the Bower artists

Image: ‘Little nest of peachtree, twine, felted wool, yarn & brass’ by Eileen Braybrook – All images courtesy the Bower artists

 To see more of the development of Bower, follow the project blog

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Rebound Books – image courtesy RMIT Link Arts & Culture

Magnificent Macrame – image courtesy RMIT Link Arts & Culture

The Clothing Exchange – image courtesy RMIT Link Arts & Culture

The Clothing Exchange 3pm–5pm
Bring unwanted fashion to swap with others in a treasure trove of frocks, knits and accessories. 

Fashion & Textiles Open Studio – image courtesy RMIT Link Arts & Culture

 

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First prize winners- “POCKIT” – Laura Dougherty, Esther Sandler, Megan McNeil and Loredana Camarata with ACS Design and Marketing coordinator Rachel Black

Presentation package by the winning team – “POCKIT”

“POCKIT” – Product samples and marketing materials

“POCKIT” – sculptural products

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