In yesterday’s Sellable Sketch chat a student asked how she could stay inspired and create truly original patterns. “My work looks like everyone else’s…”
My answer was to seek out unique sources of inspiration from her environment or surroundings. Stop focusing on other designer’s work, get out there in the world, sketch, sketch, sketch and watch what ideas emerge.
Today’s featured designer, Charlotte Linton, takes this one step further through her line of digitally printed, hand drawn scarves.
Each season the designer’s fictional muse Ermantrude, “a zoologist with a sharp sense of style and an even sharper intellect, travels the world collecting research and field notes.” These journeys are documented on her blog ‘Ermantrude’s Travels’, and “this rich body of imagery will often lend itself to the scarf designs.”
The gorgeous Scotland collection, which you see above, “is the result of a body of research completed at Cove Park, whilst on a Crafts residency last summer. The research looks in depth at traditional Scottish textile processes including the weaving of Paisley shawls, Turkey red printing and dyeing, and woven shepherds shawls. These more familiar patterns have been combined with the printing style of Kyogen theater costumes from Japan to create cross cultural garments.”
You can see the results of Ermantrude’s travels in the full line of scarves available on Charlotte’s shop and you can read more about the designer here.
Happy travels!
