blog - chantelle simons

chantelle simons

Textiles for Fashion and Interiors BA Hons

University for the Creative Arts Farnham

Specialisms: Textiles:Weave/Textiles:Interiors

Inspired by my local surroundings my collection is based on the Victorian cast iron railings that line Brighton’s seafront and promenade, translating the intricate and ornate detailing of the ironwork into graphic woven pattern. The element of contrast is a theme in this work. My focus is on structure, drawing inspiration from the railings and their finials to create pictorial woven designs, looking at their rigid, linear structures, juxtaposed by ornate shapes. I am transforming the original hard, rigid iron into soft and malleable woven cloth. Working in double cloth I have produced reversible designs that investigate the two-dimensional and three-dimensional aspects of the railings, capturing views from the city out to sea and back. My collection explores positive and negative space, and inverted colour. Using an almost monochromatic colour palette to create a sophisticated and modern product for interiors, this collection is an urban take on bringing the outdoors inside.