Centre of Attention

“I wish to be the centre of attention in the laneway of Centre Place” – Lauren Stringini

Concept illustrations and photograph of Centre Place by Lauren Stringini.

Like many of Melbourne’s city laneways, Centre Place is a popular tourist attraction.  Decorated with ever changing street art and filled with the rich, comforting smell of fresh coffee, Centre Place is the place to be.

This jacket is a representation of the structural skills and design knowledge acquired over the semester in Textile Design Studio Structure.  “Design is understood as a means of responding to human need” (Erlhoff & Marshall, 2008) – this jacket appeals to my search for self-actualization through the creation of a unique personal aesthetic.  

A plush tactile collar consisting of various sized hand made pom poms and three layers of knitted, fringed and tasselled textiles – all hand stitched onto a second hand jacket.

Self-actualization is positioned fifth on Maslow’s hierarchy of need and refers to a person’s need to achieve self-fulfilment and personal growth, and often translates into an aesthetic form. This aesthetic defies the modernist view of ornamentation as vulgar and unnecessary (Erlhoff & Marshall, 2008).  The deliberate gradation of colour aims to disrupt the train of thought of onlookers, whilst tassels, fringing, tubular knitting and pom poms evoke a need to touch – ensuring a second glance from passers by.

Lauren Stringini wearing her fabulous jacket in Melbourne’s Centre Place.

Erlhoff M. & Marshall T. (eds.). (2008) Design Dictionary.: Perspectives on Design Terminology., Basel, Birkhäuser.

Uplifted

By Emma Shepherd

Top left Liane Rossler, bottom left Ernesto Netto.  Photograph of Cathedral Arcade and concept sketch by Emma Shepherd.

Inspired by Ernesto Netto and Liane Rossler, the work employs a combination of traditional and non-traditional materials and techniques.

Materials and processes – from top left; loom weaving, laser cut mirrored disks, assembling, colour palette development, making moulded tissue paper vessels.

Suspended by hand woven tubes, these translucent vessels encourage pause and reflection. Melbourne’s Cathedral Arcade under the Nicholas building is a place of detailed ornamentation. But how many of us take the time to look, appreciate and admire this iconic piece of local architecture? Positioned slightly above waist height, the hand made vessels encourage people to peer in and view the beauty of the led light ceiling reflected in the mirrored disks.

Photoshop simulation in situ at Cathedral Arcade by Emma Shepherd.

Both project are on display at RMIT Brunswick (at the entrance of building 513) until the 20th of December 2016.

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Image: Rachel Black

 What is your current role?

I am a design and marketing manager for Australian Country Spinners. We have various hand knitting brands including Patons, Cleckheaton, Panda and Shepherd. We manufacture our own yarn and create instructional patterns for handknitting and crochet. We design for women, men, kids, babies, homewares and even dogs!
Tell me a little bit about your background – how did you come to textiles and where has it led you?

I have always been creative, papier mache-ing or decoupaging everything in sight. I moved on to sewing and always thought I would study fashion. I began a marketing degree, travelled overseas and then realized that I needed to get creative again! Everything about Textile Design made sense. I love being able to construct fabrics whilst maintaining a link to the fashion world. What does a typical working day involve?

A speedy bike ride to work helps me wake up and prepare for the day. I generally try to dedicate 3 days a week to design with 2 days for marketing. Every day is a mix of jobs. I check emails first thing and slurp down a cup of tea. I post a pic or a link to the ACS Facebook page and check in with our designer Ann. I am often found measuring samples and preparing sketches on Illustrator. If I’m lucky I get to do some knitting to check a stitch or test how a cable looks. There is often an advertisement to prepare for print. I work very closely with our graphic designer Suzanne. We brainstorm copy and work together on layouts. A bit more designing, or a meeting, or running around organizing and then the day is over.

Image: Patons Modern Crochet book courtesy ACS

What are the rewards of your job/work?

I feel really lucky to have a job in knit. I work with an amazing team of people who have such a vast amount of knowledge. Having a team of very talented knitters to help me problem solve, fix holes in my jumpers and teach me to crochet is great. I am also really happy to be working with primary schools across the country on our Wool in Schools project and also with RMIT to help educate future knitters to sustain the industry.

How do you stay inspired?

I knit and crochet at home and always have multiple projects on the go. I stay connected with blogs, magazines and chat a lot with my creative buddies. I feel passionate about promoting the knitting industry and with so amazing people creating fabulous work it is pretty easy to stay inspired.

What did you take out of your Textile Design training?

My textile design training made me realize my strengths and gain the confidence to experiment. Having the opportunity to try different techniques and processes before specializing in knit was exactly what I needed. I came to realize that my brain works well in 3D concepts and construction processes. I learnt a broad range of skills that provided a framework with which to build my career. I wasn’t even able to hand knit when I applied for my job at ACS! My textile design background (and some dedicated hours watching youtube) meant that I could pick up hand knitting and secured a job in the industry.

Want to know more about Rachel’s work and the team at ACS? Check out the links:

Website
Blog
Facebook
Pinterest

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Soft Shocks by Lani Sommer

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Esther Paleologos Memory 2011 Lace textiles (3): hand-operated domestic machine knitting and crochet using copper enamelled wire, electrical copper wire, stainless steel wool blend, lurex and metallic cotton

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