My graduate collection combines all the mediums I like to use as a print designer, which are dye sublimation, screen-printing and creating cyanotypes. Overall, I like to use digital and hand printing to create colourful and textural prints on themes like nature and architecture integrated. Studying at UCA for four years (Foundation and Degree) I have learnt to utilise other materials within my designs as well as fabrics – which is heavily shown in a second year unit and my final collection. This links into becoming an aspiring sustainable Textile Designer, making Upcycled Furniture and Home Decor.
UCA Rochester is what has inspired my final collection, many reasons include the closure of the campus – that it faces this year. Being part of the last year that graduates from here is a big achievement, however, a sad one as well. I’ve met so many creative people and made amazing friends who feature in my collection. As well as, my Dad Dave and Uncle Stephen Webster studied here in the late 70s both doing Jewellery Design – when it was still Medway College of Design. Other reasons for choosing this as my concept was the specific architecture, as I fell in love with the building both in and outside. I’ve always said that the interior is like a ‘maze’ because all the bottom half of the University looks similar – one open day I couldn’t find the way to reception again. While the exterior looks like some steps. I love the brick building and the particular style of the campus.
Within my work, I wanted to celebrate the history of the building, creativity and say a thank you to being able to study at my dream University that I had been aiming for since getting my GCSE results. I was intending to at the start include something about the political side of Arts education – however, decided to stick with looking at the history (getting to look at the Archives) and present time. The processes I used – was trying to utilise all of the equipment that was at our disposal for the last few months. I had also decided to have fun exploring the Film Photography labs. Screen-printing is a major part of this utilisation, as I had spent nearly everyday in the print room – printing on reused fabrics that I had collected to cut the cost down of my final collection. I used another type of Photography process, producing cyanotypes and printing onto Ceramics with Digital Dye Sublimation.
Reiss Martin | Fashion
