About Me
Hi I'm Katie, a fashion design graduate from Bath Spa University.
Katie Sweatman is a fashion designer with a deep-rooted passion for textiles, colour, and print. She is drawn to the stories that fabric can tell, and her work explores the emotional and cultural connections we have with clothing. Through bold visuals and tactile materials, she evokes memory and identity, creating designs that resonate on a personal level.
My creative journey is rooted in personal history and sensory experience. My final collection, Ann & Jim’s, is inspired by my grandparents’ vegetable stall, capturing its colour, texture, and sense of community through contemporary silhouettes and layered prints. Using custom-dyed fabrics and hand-drawn details, I celebrate everyday beauty. With a focus on storytelling, heritage, and sustainability, I aim to create work that shapes the future of fashion.
INSPIRATION
My inspiration comes from storytelling and history, whether its my own or someone else's.
This collection draws on my family’s working-class heritage, rooted in hands-on labour passed down through generations. From my grandparents’ 1980s vegetable stall at Coventry Market, to my mum’s floristry, and my brother’s work as a tree surgeon, I explore themes of hard work, growth, and grounded beauty. Through this, I celebrate resilience and the quiet strength found in everyday labour.
I was inspired by Gwyneth Paltrow’s quiet elegance and minimalist style, adding ease and refinement to the collection’s grounded narrative. Textural and conceptual influences from By Walid and Bode shaped my use of antique-inspired layering, memory-rich fabrics, and relaxed workwear silhouettes. Together, these elements create a thoughtful blend of sophistication and heritage-driven design.
MY WORK
PORTFOLIOS
ANN & JIM'S
Concept History
Inspiration
Textiles Experiments
Textiles Experiments
Textiles Experiments
ANN & JIM'S
Flat Drawings
Editorial
Editorial
Roots & Relics
Concept
Brand History
Inspiration
Concept
Print Design
Fabrications
Roots & Relics
Flat Drawings
DETAIL
I looked at a range of textiles techniques to produce fabrications that fit in my collection.
During development, I experimented with natural and synthetic dyes on various fabrics, using an earthy palette inspired by vegetables, bark, and florals. These trials revealed how different materials absorbed colour, helping me achieve the tactile, weathered aesthetic central to the collection. To mimic bark’s texture, I quilted denim over wool with free machine embroidery, stitching irregular lines to replicate natural grain and depth. The garment was then dyed, allowing the layers to absorb colour unevenly, enhancing its organic feel. I used direct dyeing to create gradual, layered effects by dip-dyeing garments in baths of increasing concentration, starting with lighter tones at the top and deepening toward the hem. This produced smooth natural gradients that enriched the fabric’s texture. Inspired by my grandma’s handmade doilies, I traced one onto acetate to create a screen print, experimenting with scale to balance detail and impact. The final design was printed on textured woven cotton, creating a
“When I pass a flowering zucchini plant in a garden, my heart skips a beat.”- Gwenyth Paltrow
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