How did you find out about the Skills tour?
I was contacted by Serena Williams who informed me about the tour as an alternative option to an upcoming one-day conference in Plymouth. She suggested that it may be more applicable to my interests in LEDs, electronics and innovative textiles.
What made you decide on to send your CV and portfolio?
I sent my CV and some photos of my light-up collection to Serena as I wanted to apply to the Skills Tour in order to learn about electronics and interactive textiles and to learn how to use the equipment, such as the laser cutter and machine embroidery, in the studio.
How was the accommodation?
The accommodation was spacious and clean with a lovely breakfast provided by our cheerful hostess each morning. They kept sheep and a lovely dog and the owner is a renowned children’s author. Homemade jams and marmalades, pastries, breads and freshly made fruit juices adorned the breakfast table.
Did the program match your expectations?
I think that the program both matched and exceeded my expectations. I feel like I have come away bursting with ideas and with some practical skills to apply them. It opened my eyes to some new possibilities in materials and in the methodology behind concepts and products. It made me think in a new way – how can the product better benefit the user (rather than the designer forcing their vision on the end user) and how technology can aid and enhance this user experience. It was great to work with other designers (product, graphic, textile and other fashion designers) and to combine our approaches to produce new ideas and a final product or garment family - Just. In particular, I loved learning about electronics in Marina’s workshop and the Materio lecture by Karen was fascinating and very useful for my brand.
Did you meet interesting people for your network?
The group was made up of a variety of different nationalities including Belgian, Dutch and British designers, and from differing design specialisms, such as Product, Fashion, Textile and Graphic. This made for a really interesting variety of ideas and concepts. The tutors and TIO3 staff were excellent and so motivating, thought-provoking and exciting to work with. This included Karen Sprengers of Materio, Marina Toeters of By-Wire, Sietske Klooster and Sofie De Ville. My hope is that new opportunities will arise from these new network contacts.
Did you have a good time?
I had a great time, learnt lots, ate well and met new, interesting and exciting people with great ideas to help me to move my own design work – sportswear fashion technology brand – forwards. I would thoroughly recommend that other designers attend the future Crysalis Skills Tours and Workshops.
