Brighton University Textile Graduate Brings Inspiring Eco-Design To London Exhibition
A recent University of Brighton graduate from our Textiles courses exhibited at a pioneering London exhibition showcasing work driven by principles of sustainability.
Claiming to be the first zero waste design event in the world, the Planted contemporary ecological design show took place from 23-26 September at Samsung KX, Coal Drops Yard, King’s Cross.
Connie Brownjohn shared her creations as part of the Green Graduates exhibition on 25-26 September, celebrating design graduates who have chosen to focus on issues of sustainability.
Connie Brownjohn graduated this year with BA(Hons) Textiles Design with Business Studies.
Her degree show took inspiration from the ongoing ‘rewilding’ of the Knepp Estate in East Sussex, as well as adjacent farmland given over to industrial agriculture.
The ensuing textiles brim with colour and life, contrasting the two approaches to land use.
Connie also won First Prize and seed funding in the Santander University of Brighton Ideas Competition 2021 for a design to create a sustainable and durable, hooded cotton towelling changing robe for swimmers, which avoids the microplastic pollution of synthetic alternatives.
She was supported in developing her idea by the University of Brighton’s beepurple initiative offering students and graduates practical support to start their own businesses.
Connie said : “Throughout this project I have explored ideas relating ‘rewilding’ and areas of land which have been allowed time to let nature take control without human intervention.I have visited and explored Knepp Estate in West Sussex, a renowned landscape that was once used for intensive farming, which since 2001 has been devoted to a pioneering rewilding project.”
She added : “From reading Isabella Tree’s book Wilding and George Monbiot’s book FERAL I also decided to look at industrial agriculture and local farmland as a source of design inspiration. Comparing rewilded landscapes and intensively farmed landscapes and taking design ideas from both of these settings has been really interesting. As the project progressed, I found that, from a design perspective, I was more inclined to explore imagery that I found from researching industrial agriculture and monocultures. I found that the rigid and ordered landscapes provided ideas that helped me to design full repeats and placement prints for garments and products.”
“From the beginning of this project my aim was to create a collection that could be seen as an independent, outdoor lifestyle brand, tying in with my Business Studies module. As the collection and colour palette developed through visual research, naturally my targeted market was narrowed down to menswear. As screen print and digital design progressed, I also considered interior and lifestyle products such as cushions, curtains, rucksacks and dry bags. With sustainability and durability as key factors to consider as part of my brand, I explored screen printing onto a range of cloth including hemp terry towelling, hemp-linen, hemp-cotton and heavy cotton drill.”
The University of Brighton
The original Brighton School of Art was founded in 1859 and was re-named the Brighton College of Arts and Crafts in 1947, gaining a reputation as one of the top art schools in Britain.
This has now become part of the University of Brighton.
They ’re a key part of cultural life in Brighton.
As well as hosting their own exhibitions and events (such as the Graduate Show each June), the Schools of Architecture & Design, Art, Humanities and Media have partnerships with arts organisations and festivals, including Photoworks, who host the Brighton Photo Biennial and are based at the university, the Brighton Festival, the Brighton Fringe and the Brighton Museum & Gallery.
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