The WIL Studio in third year offers students a direct ‘real world’ experience in preparation for working life and career development as a textile designer. This project aims to highlight the significance of having a record of relevant practice or experiences to assist graduates in securing ongoing employment after graduation – most commonly within the freelance design market.

Small groups of 4-6 designers were partnered with a WIL sponsor to develop a freelance project, responding to a live industry brief. Project teams individually researched and presented design solutions to the industry client – much like a working freelance studio – successful designs were then commercialised for a range of product outcomes and are now available in the Australian market.

The Design To Print WIL Studio gave the students the opportunity to design unique wallpapers that will be available for purchase on the Design To Print custom wallpaper shop.

Image: ‘Altitude’ by Ooi Ken Liew for DTP Custom Wallpaper

9 final year students participated in the project, working over a 5-week period with weekly meetings and reviews to develop the final artwork and submissions. Gianni Favaro and Mick Kass from Design To Print were on hand throughout the entire process to provide feedback, technical advice and aid in the design direction when needed. The first iteration of designs were also showcased at the VIVID (Vibrant Visions in Design) Competition in July 2015, with Marieke Bruins’ ‘Ombre’ design selected for the key panels in the exhibition stand.

Image: Marieke Bruins’ ‘Ombre’ for DTP Custom Wallpaper at VIVID – image courtesy VIVID

Image: ‘Ombre’by Marieke Bruins for DTP Custom Wallpaper

Managing Director of Design To Print, Gianni Favaro explains, “It was a totally invigorating experience to be amongst such enthusiastic and talented young people with a passion to create and who are not afraid to explore their imagination. The creative future is assured as technological advances are made from design to print, pardon the pun, and creative young people such as the ones that Mick and I had the pleasure of working with will continue to have inspiration and the support from institutions such as RMIT.”

As part of the WIL studio project, the students license their design work for a period of time, with a commission paid for every sale of their work on the site. Currently on www.dtopshop.com.au, each of the students is profiled alongside their wallpaper designs, with the intention of this being an ongoing program, with new students having this exciting opportunity available to them each year.

Image: #1 by Daisy Watt for DTP Custom Wallpaper

When asked about the importance of programs such as this in supporting the next generation of designers, Claire Beale, Program Manager for BATD,  says, “It goes without saying that it is of primary importance that emerging textile designers have every opportunity to work with the industry on live projects. The Design To Print Custom Wallpaper project engages students with the wider market comprising home renovators, decorators and designers, enabling them to bring their highly creative design ideas to a myriad of applications.”

Claire goes on to explain, “From the perspective of the program, projects that showcase the skills of textile designers to a broad customer base are a great way to inform the public about just what it is we can do to enhance your life and demonstrate to the design profession the potential for collaboration and innovation in a commercial sector.”

Congratulations to our emerging designers, and thanks to Design to Print for another successful collaboration. Check out the full collection of designs - buy now! – on the DTP webshop

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The brief included 2 phases. Phase 1: The immediate need – develop products for Araluen to sell in the lead up to Christmas 2015 (post to come) and Phase 2: The long term need….

At the beginning of the semester we didn’t have a clear idea on what this might be.  After some initial research we discovered that there was an opportunity for us to explore sensory textiles and their application to interior spaces for adults on the autism spectrum.  After reading a fantastic article by Gaudian et al titled “A designer’s approach: how can autistic adults with learning disabilities be involved in the design process?” students began to use their textile design skills to explore the six sensory systems of touch, sight, sound, smell, vestibulation and proprioception specific to hyper-sensitivity (i.e., being overly sensitive) and hypo-sensitivity (i.e., a lack of sensitivity).  The project encouraged students to experiment with materials and techniques and to speculate on how they could be used to stimulate or calm individuals on the autism spectrum.

Karen Tytler from AMAZE (Autism Victoria) generously provided her time and expertise giving students an indication of what it might be like for people who experience hyper or hypo sensitivity to stimulus.  She shared a very moving documentary titled spectrospective: stories of autism which provided first and second hand accounts of living with autism.

Image: Araluen’s Helen Ryan and Karla Birch meet with BATD student Maria Dare to discuss her collection of brightly coloured 3D croquis.

In the time since students have been working individually and collaboratively to develop croquis using both analogue and digital techniques. Overall the project provided textile students with a different way of working, guided by intuition and play rather than trends and market segments.

Image: collection of sensory croquis by second year BATD students

Gabby Draffen: sensory croquis concept for flooring.  Image credit: Gabby Draffen.

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The Maxwell and Williams IPA project for 2014 focused on designing children’s tableware products. Inspiration for the student’s work was based on a ‘Woodland’ theme, with a strong focus on developing an awareness of the Maxwell and Williams brand, product categories and global market.

An expert team of designers from Maxwell and Williams in conjunction with BATD staff guided the students through a series of masterclasses and reviews to create the final collection of table ware and accessories.

Here’s what their team shared with us:

The RMIT and Maxwell & Williams Industry Awards have been an extremely rewarding collaboration for us. Working with RMIT textile design students and their teachers, we’ve created an Industry Partnership Award which we are very proud of, and which we hope will continue to inspire.   

We have been incredibly impressed with the students’ work. The Awards are a rare opportunity for us to sit down with the next generation of designers in such a creative context and see their work evolving. It was very exciting to see the new ideas and concepts which came out of the workroom; different ways of looking at colour and design media are a huge part of what we do at Maxwell & Williams.

We hope in return to provide the students with an idea of what it’s like to work in the industry, in a way that is true-to-life but also very supportive. We feel that the winners truly embraced Maxwell & Williams’ design principles and brand position, an important skill for anyone the design industry.

We are delighted and extremely proud to include the winners’ work under the Maxwell & Williams brand. We look forward to next year’s RMIT partnership with great excitement. 

For more information about the brand, collections and where to buy, visit their website:

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The Linen House IPA project for 2014 focused on our second year students, developing fashion home wares designs for bedlinen and accessories. Inspiration for the student’s work was based on four specified macro trends for Spring Summer 2016, sourced from trend forecasting database WGSN . Awareness of the Linen House brand and market, with a strong focus on creativity in surface texture and use of colour, were key factors for the project.

An expert team of designers (and BATD alumni) from Linen House in conjunction with BATD staff guided the students through a series of masterclasses and reviews to achieve their outstanding results.

Here’s what their team shared with us:

‘Designed in Australia’ is something we are proud of and want to see more of! RMIT makes this possible being the first link in the chain of educating textile designers so they can participate in industry and/or establish their own art practices. 

The Linen House project gives Second year students the opportunity to work on ‘real world’ bed linen design with practicing designers from the Linen House Melbourne studio. Researching context, colours and trend, drawing, design and refining are all part of the brief as well as taking on board the advice and direction from lecturers and Linen House designers. Our textile design team are RMIT graduates themselves, so they relate well to the students and can help them through the design process. The winners of our competition take up short internships with us in their third year, giving them valuable studio experience and insight into the industry.

As one of the leading Australian wholesalers of quality bedlinen, Linen House has a long  tradition of supporting local talent.  Textile and surface design are so important to the design and development of new Australian products and RMIT is at the forefront of research into new fabrics and applications. We are very fortunate to have this close association and access to these professional, knowledgeable and talented graduates.

For more information about the brand, collections and heritage, visit their website:

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The Dryen IPA project for 2014 focused on developing coordinated bedding designs for a masculine market. Textures found in nature were the key inspirational references for the project, with the team at Dryen in conjunction with BATD staff guiding the students through a series of masterclasses and reviews.

Here’s what their team shared with us:

Dryen is a market leader in home textiles and accessories in Australasia. The Dryen name has been interwoven with the Soft Home Textile industry for over 40 years. Today we are regarded as one of the most advanced wholesalers of coordinated bed linen and home wares.

Dryen is extremely proud of it’s in-house design studio and the dedicated team of textile and graphic designers, product developers and merchandising staff. This talented team produce a combination of striking hand painted and computer generated designs, used to develop prints and jacquards for a range of home textile products.

This extensive range of decorative fabrics, curtains and cushions are designed locally and sourced internationally to coordinate with our bedding ranges. We also offer a wide range of accessory products for the bathroom, lounge and kitchen.

Our brand ‘Designer’s Choice’ has successfully carved itself a niche in the Australian marketplace with its range of contemporary and understated designs. The key selling point with the range is its flexibility; neutral quilt covers can be accessorized in many different ways to completely change the overall look and feel.

Dryen are delighted to once again be involved with the BA Textile Design course. The project this year asked students to develop a fully coordinated bedding story to fit a masculine brief with an emphasis on textures found in nature. We were very impressed with the work produced by all students this year and hope the relationship between our company and RMIT continues well into the future.

For more information about the Dryen brand, Designer’s Choice and other collections, visit their website:

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The Country Road IPA project for 2014 connects with the organisation’s current celebration of 40 years for the brand. Iconic textile designs from 1974 – 2014 for the brand provided inspiration for the student’s work. Creativity and commerciality were key factors for the project, with the team at Country Road in conjunction with BATD staff guiding the students through a series of masterclasses and reviews.

Here’s what their team shared with us:

Country Road is Australia’s first and most loved fashion lifestyle brand. Celebrating 40 years of modern Australian style, we have stayed true to the values from which we were created. Quality pieces, a fashionable outlook and a love of natural materials for woman, man, child and home.

Country Road is proud to support future design talent through our annual BA Textile Design industry collaboration. The partnership gives students the opportunity to work to a real life brief, be mentored by industry professionals  and see their designs go into production.

For more information about the brand, collections and heritage, visit their website:

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Sophie is the 2014 recipient of a Cotton Australia Final Year Textiles Undergraduate Project Sponsorship award.

Cotton Australia are the peak body for the Australian Cotton Industry, and their scholarships offer support to students undertaking a final year project relating to the cotton industry. This scholarship has been enabled by the Cotton Catchments Communities Co-operative Research Centre’s Legacy Fund.
Sophie shares with us the details of her award:
“…Cotton Australia offer scholarships to help support fashion and textile students undergoing their final year of study, I applied and was very pleased to be offered a scholarship. My application included a proposal of what I intended to do and how it might benefit the Australian cotton industry, as well as a CV, academic records and the project brief.

Image: Sophie Murphy – screen printed swatch concepts

My application was for the Country Road project producing a series of paper croquis and screen printed swatches for Summer 14/15.

Image: Sophie Murphy – digitally printed swatches for Country Road

Image: Sophie Murphy – Paper croquis concepts for Country Road

The scholarship awarded is up to $3500 paid in three installments, $1000 paid on acceptance of the scholarship, $1500 on completion of the project (receiving a credit or above) and the final $1000 after attending a relevant industry event for example the CSIRO Field to Fabric Course.

This scholarship is going to be a huge help in completing my final project allowing me to take time off work and pay for materials. I highly recommend that future students and current 2^nd year students look into applying next year…”

Congratulations Sophie!

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(Left to right) Ariel Mazo, CR Textile Designer, Rachel Kelly, CR Textile Designer, Monique DeJong CR, Graphics Studio Manager, Bree Ellett, 1st Prize winner RMIT, Manna Ly, 3rd Prize winner, Sophie Holt, CR Creative Director, Camilla Stirling, 2nd Prize Winner RMIT, Bree Dhaliwal, CR Textile Designer

First Prize Winner Bree Ellett – “Solsken” for Country Road

Second Prize Winner – Camilla Stirling – “Layered Tranquility” for Country Road

Third Prize Winner – Manna Ly – “Kami” for Country Road

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Trevor Oxley (Araluen Artist) & Karan Jones (BATD student)

Emma Lynas, Santa, Lara Hynes (Araluen Art program manager), Luise Adams

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Ladelle Head Office – image courtesy Scott Knight

The project involved designing a range of contemporary homewares products responding to a commercial brief that included forecast information, colour palettes and styling trends supplied by Ladelle, which students then independently researched and developed. Students were also challenged to devise innovative solutions for new product interpretations, including aprons and kitchen accessories.

Students approached the project by beginning with hand generated design work – mark making and drawing with a range of media and materials, and then taking these into CATD (Photoshop & Illustrator) to translate into the final designs. This means that the individual mark / handwriting is retained, which is what often differentiates textile designs from graphic designs.  The project also allowed them to design for a complete homewares collection, incorporating different repeat structures, changes in scale and arrangement, placement (or hero) designs, specifying trims, details and so on. 

A studio visit, professional presentations, industry briefings and feedback, fixed time frame and deadlines were all integral to a project that brought the ‘real world’ industry experience to our studios.

Of course, there was a prize element involved, and we are pleased to announce the three winners:

• Kate Tuckett – first prize
• Meaghan McLeish – second prize
• Laura Dougherty – highly commended.

The three winners were presented with their awards during a scrumptious lunch at the Ladelle Head Offices in Rowville last Friday.

(L-R) Ladelle Assistant Design Manager Liz Disler, Ladelle CEO James Gadsen, award winners Kate Tuckett, Meaghan McLeish, Laura Dougherty & Ladelle Senior Sales Manager, Andrew Wilson – Image courtesy Scott Knight

Kate’s winning design “Oriental Orimono” was based on the very popular ‘Oriental’ theme, so her designs had to bring something new to enhance the established identity, reinterpreting the theme whilst remaining ‘on brand’. The Ladelle judging panel commented that her ” yardage designs were all extremely commercial, with a beautiful flow to the entire design”.

What made her designs work so well was the attention to coordination and scale across the collection. She also captured the graphic handwriting of the Ladelle brand extremely well. So well in fact, that her designs may be taken to a global market (which means we can’t show you them here yet) - congratulations Kate!

Ladelle IPA winner Kate Tuckett – image courtesy Scott Knight

Second prize winner Meaghan McLeish’s “Yes Chef” tackled the challenging ‘Professional’ theme, aimed at the ‘aspiring Masterchef’ and drawing inspiration and insider information from her own sister’s experience (a real-life chef). The Ladelle team commented that they “loved the thought process and the study of a real chef, great concept and attention to detail in the way she made a lot of her elements”.

Highly commended winner Laura Dougherty also took on the ‘Professional’ theme with her ‘Modern Simplicity’ collection. The panel commented that they “loved the thought process behind the aprons and each piece, especially the tea towels and detailed materials notes. Great commercial design”
 

(L-R) Laura Dougherty, Meaghan McLeish & Kate Tuckett in the design studio at Ladelle

Congratulations girls!

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