Ruth Court

Contact:
ruthyc20@hotmail.co.uk
University/School:
Heriot-Watt University
Location:
Heriot-Watt
Specialism:
Art DirectionAtelier DesignFashion DesignSustainabiltyTextilesWomenswear
About Me

Hi, i'm Ruth a fashion graduate from Heriot Watt University

I was inspired by my love of the pioneering abstract artist Wassily Kandinsky, I used that style of abstraction to communicate the important message of sustainability to form my graduate collection using entirely up-cycled hotel linen (bed sheets, table cloths and towels.)

Through the mediums of fashion and art I believe that we can communicate many important messages, such as sustainability. Using these means, positive changes can be made moving society and the fashion industry forward. I saw how Kandinsky used art and creativity to further his activism and this is what I felt inspired to do in my collection. Sustainability does not have to be predictable and boring, but instead it can be innovative, bold and exciting. This is what I have strived to achieve.

INSPIRATION

The impetus for this collection was the memories of my time in Paris visiting Kandinsky's work.

Kandinsky’s pioneering method of abstraction uses colour and shape in such unique and bold ways that it made a lasting impression on me. His ability to use these visuals to translate themes into contemporary terms is what motivated me to start looking into using this art movement to explore my own feelings surrounding fashion sustainability. A lot of my research was concentrated on his “Composition” series and is why I gave my collection the name “COMPOSITION MMXXI.”

I planned to not only convey those issues through my original abstract prints but also through my production methods. My collection is made from up-cycled hotel linen that was transformed using natural dye methods, hand painting and innovative fabric manipulation techniques. In the beginning, similar to the first stages of a painting, I found myself facing a blank canvas, this pushed me to create bold colours and interesting textures that might not typically be seen in an eco-friendly collection.

MY WORK

PORTFOLIOS

DETAIL

I transformed the old hotel linen by hand painting and natural dying

Working from home pushed me to experiment and changed the way I had to approach the design process. I did more sampling and toiling than ever before, and found new ways to do things, all because I was unable to rely on the tools of the studio. This led me to adopt methods such as hand-painting fabric instead of using a digital print machine, as well as using chicken wire to manipulate fabric in a new way. I also delved into a deep exploration of natural dying processes, using different materials such as beetroot, turmeric, logwood, walnut, madder and cochineal. I experimented with dying things in different orders and researching different ways to achieve certain colours or shades. As so often happens, creativity is born out of limitation, and my collection illustrates that, as each obstacle I faced resulted in an exciting new discovery. With that said, I believe my collection - "COMPOSITION MMXXI" demonstrates the different kind of opportunities that creating sustainably brings.

"A REALITY BEHIND THE VISIBLE WORLD."
Art DirectionAtelier DesignFashion DesignSustainabiltyTextilesWomenswear
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