A Woolly Tradition
My work was born out of an interest in tradition, craft and skill, with a love of heritage and a garments ability to tell a story through time. Initial inspiration came from a Fair Isle waistcoat knitted in 1939 by a close family member. With the current campaign for British wool, a full understanding of woolen fibre wanted to be gained.
The purpose of the project was to look in depth at the properties and characteristics of wool as a fibre, focusing on five different breeds: Milksheep, Milksheep Merino, Shetland, Wensleydale and Teeswater.
In order to fully understand the performance of the fibre, each stage of fabric construction was studied, from the field to the body. The focus was on yarn production by hand processing the raw fleece at each stage. The origin of the fibre was key and the ability to provide a transparent supply chain in order to inform the consumer of each stage of production. The study took into consideration the tradition and heritage of the woollen industry and its current developments.
As well as the differences and characteristics of each breed, the particular areas of the fleeces were looked at and hand processed individually. Having manufactured each area of the fleece, they were then knitted into the whole fleece. These knitted fleeces allow us to see the best areas of fleece and the best breeds of wool to use for different purposes and allow for more informed garment design.
Experience:
Donna Karan Collection, New York - Knitwear Intern
Rapanui Clothing Ltd, UK - Design and brand development Intern
WGSN - Knitted Textile sample featured in 2013/14 Trend Forecast
Contact:
emily-janes@hotmail.com
emily.j.smart@gmail.com
