Catherine Mei-Ping Frere-Smith's project

For this project I have chosen to explore the notions of inside and outside by revisiting vintage floral fabrics and studying the formal structure of elaborate repeated prints typically used by designers such as William Morris. Growing up in the Kentish countryside has always really inspired a lot of my work and I often link nature to a sense of freedom and escapism. This is something I have tried to incorporate into the mood of this project in the colours and flow of the prints, and by using natural fabrics such as thin cotton and linen.

I love the hand drawn elements of design and have tried to capture the essence of drawing and painting within the final prints to draw a connection between the flowers I drew and painted at the start of the project and the final print designs. I have also started making a series of sculptural collars to complement the prints and will develop my designs further by using embroidery and embellishment techniques.