Portfolio
Flourish Collection
*This Collection is apart of a submission for the Fall 2024 Design Competition with Cotton Incorporated. This "Cotton and the Future of Textile Design" competition explores how the tacit material knowledge of craft can inform and influence contemporary textile industry design practices. Students within this competition are invited to engage deeply with cotton as a material, leveraging its versatility to create designs that respect the past while looking toward the future. This is an opportunity to showcase how craft techniques, combined with contemporary design thinking, can shape the future of textile design in ways that are both respectful of tradition and responsive to modern consumer demands.
The Flourish Collection beautifully merges eclectic modern aesthetics with the whimsical charm of florals, offering a vibrant yet elegant perspective on design. Each of the six pieces—comprising three knits and three digitally printed designs—draws subtle inspiration from classic Asian motifs, featuring graceful cranes alongside delicate lilies, peonies, chrysanthemums, and lotuses that evoke a sense of serenity. By integrating traditional hand-crafted techniques such as hand-dyeing and bead embroidery, the collection presents a fresh, contemporary interpretation of these time-honored practices through innovative use of color and graphic design elements.
This collection highlights inspiration from the works of female artists, including Yoko Hasegawa, renowned for her intricate multimedia beadwork, and Mira Lehr, celebrated for her vivid use of bold colors and dyes in her multimedia pieces. By incorporating these techniques into the knit samples, a modern take on traditional craftsmanship emerges.
Crafted from high-quality, rich cotton, these pieces not only showcase intricate floral patterns but also deliver practical benefits for the home. Cotton is renowned for its durability, breathability, and softness, making it an ideal choice for home products that require both comfort and longevity. By integrating modern performance technologies within final home products—such as throw pillows, blankets, curtains, and upholstery—we enhance the inherent qualities of cotton. For instance, incorporating CottonWorks’ “Tough Cotton” provides extra durability, colorfastness, and abrasion resistance for items like pillows, couches, and ottomans, which are often subject to wear and tear. Additionally, this performance technology ensures excellent wrinkle resistance and a softer hand for home goods such as throw blankets and breezy curtains.
The Flourish Collection captures the essence of contemporary design while celebrating the timeless allure of floral elements, inviting whimsy, warmth, and tranquility into any living space.
