Graduate news: Jodie Byrne

One of our 2009 graduates of the BA (Hons) Textiles and Surface Design course, Jodie Byrne, has recently set up her own online boutique business.

As featured on SBwire
(http://www.sbwire.com/press-releases/sbwire-79692.htm):

"Jodie Byrne, 25, had followed in the footsteps of the famous Percy French song by seeking her fortune in London but has now returned home to Newcastle, Co Down the place that inspires her the most to establish an online boutique - http://www.jodiebyrne.com - selling unique Danish home decor.

“You don’t have to live the big city life to run a successful business. Waking up every day to the beauty of the mountains and the rugged seascapes inspires the style of interiors that I have sourced for the online boutique,” Jodie said.

Jodie graduated from Bucks New University in 2009 with a BA (Hons) in Textiles and Surface Design. During her studies, Jodie pursued a keen interest in interior design and printed textiles, publicly and internationally exhibiting her own designs at top industry Trade shows; Indigo Paris, Surtex New York and New Designers London.

Her new online shop includes an eclectic mix of country style furnishings with cutting edge industrial style home ware and vintage inspired items.

To see Jodie’s collection, go to http://www.jodiebyrne.com

Course Visit to the Surface Design Show, Islington

We visited the Surface Design Show at the Business Design Centre in Islington to take a look at the wide range of innovative and new materials on display. Showing materials and surfaces for architectural, interior and exterior use, the showcase included textural and coloured concretes, laminated coloured glass, parquet flooring and wood veneers, recycled egg shells, compacted functional paper surfaces and electro reactive wallpaper.

The show gave our students the opportunity to network and meet suppliers and potential future employers, sponsors and manufacturers.

http://www.surfacedesignshow.com/

The Sorrell Foundation Project

Level 5 (second year) Surface Design students have been working on a live project for the Sorrell Foundation.

http://thesorrellfoundation.com/

The 'Joined up design for schools' project brings teams of design students from selected UK universities together with local secondary schools. The school pupils act as the client for this project and identify an area of their school that they would like to improve. The students then work as a design team, liaising with staff at the school, architects and the local council to produce workable designs to enhance the school environment and answer the brief.

Our Level 5 Surface Designers have teamed up with students from the Spatial Design course and the Graphic Design course at Bucks to deliver a range of design solutions including the redesign of a school canteen, a new library space, outdoor work/break areas and way finding systems to navigate pupils and visitors through the school buildings.

Some of the projects are implemented and, to date, 24 have been realised through the scheme in previous years. These include a sustainable extension and refurbishment of the design & technology block at Falmouth School in Cornwall, a flexible performing arts space at Mounts Bay School, Penzance and a redeveloped sixth-form space at Heart of England School, Coventry.

Our students will be presenting their ideas to their clients next week - good luck and we look forward to seeing the results!

Visit to the Kinetica Art Fair 2011

Staff and students from the Red Shed visited the Kinetica Art Fair last weekend.

"Kinetica Art Fair is produced by Kinetica Museum and is the first of its kind in the UK. It brings together galleries, art organisations and curatorial groups from around the world who focus on universal concepts and evolutionary processes though the convergence of kinetic, electronic, robotic, sound, light, time-based and multi-disciplinary new media art, science and technology"

http://www.kinetica-artfair.com/

Exhibitors included:

Seeper

 

Patrick Heide

  




Computer Arts Society
Ralf Nuhn and Cecile Cole

  

Introduction to Printed Textiles - First Year Project

Group A students (First Years) have recently completed their 7 week introduction to Printed Textiles Design. Each student is asked to create a collection of printed fabrics using traditional and digital techniques. This includes working with silk screens, dyes, printing inks, plain and colour bleaching, devoré, CAD, digital heat press and foiling so as to learn new ways to experiment with colour, geometric shapes, hand painted marks and pattern.

Tutor Andie Robertson said ‘This introduction to printed textiles is often the first time that students have dyed and printed their own fabrics. This unique experience of working with dyes, fabrics and traditional and new technologies encourages them to be inventive and resourceful.’

Students presented their work at a studio catwalk show – with fellow first and second year students and tutors present. The challenge has been set – watch this space - Group B will be presenting their work in 6 weeks time!

Stylesight Visit

This week Stylesight came to visit us at the Red Shed. Stylesight is a leading provider of trend information for the fashion and styling industries. They have their Headquarters in New York, with a Forecasting Atelier in Paris and satellite offices in the style capitals of the world. They report on fashion design, trend analysis, forecasting, merchandising and apparel manufacturing. Stylesight's experts are well-respected industry leaders, connecting directly with industry and press to provide information, inspiration and commentary for style, design and interiors, trend and technical innovation stories.

We will be working with Stylesight on some exciting new future projects!

http://www.stylesight.com/