The architectural photographs have influenced my pattern work. I have used the structural elements as well as the space in between to pull out shapes and begin to develop in to weave structures. I feel this has given me material in which to work and expand on to create intricate, yet bold patterns as my photographs and drawings suggest.
Maija Louekari uses vibrant colour combinations and expressive motifs in her illustrations for print. Her work depicts the modernist mayhem of the urban centre and I feel my work relates to the statement below.
"Cities inspire me with their energy, the people, buildings, environments and phenomena." (Louekari, 2009:238)
Her illustrations capture architectural elements but the freehand lines bring a softer element in to the sharp, jagged shapes. I have taken this approach and developed a range of drawings using free hand outlines, adding my colour palette on photoshop. I feel this helped me see patterns in a more abstract way than my pencil drawings and it let me explore colour proportion in a more experimental way.
Chanel and Missoni have also influenced my work. The bold, oversized patterns from Channel and the combinations of patterns with vibrant colours from Missoni are elements that I would like to use in my samples. Researching in to Mens knitwear has shown me how established designers combine these elements successfully to produce stunning garments. I think I will need to consider proportion of pattern and colour carefully as one or the other could dominate, giving an unbalanced sample.
Louekari, M. (2009) Textile Designers at the Cutting Edge. London. Laurence King Publishing Ltd.
1. Louekari, M. (2004) Vapaa Pudotus. [Online Image] [Accessed on 21st May 2014] <http://www.maijalouekari.com/textile.php>
2. Chanel. (2013) Singapore. [Online Image] [Accessed on 21st May 2014]
<http://www.style.com/fashionshows/review/2014RST-CHANEL/>
3. Missoni. (2012) Spring/Summer 2011. [Online Image] [Accessed on 21st May 2014]
<http://www.knitting-bee.com/knitting-news/knitting-in-fashion>