Colour at New Designers Part One
Summer is here, and with it the plethora of graduate shows that we look forward to for the rest of the year.
Students’ colour choices are often intuitive rather than commercially driven, and as such can be a good indicator of the mood for the year. One of the key colour references across the show was a shaded mustard, redolent of the greyed Buff yellow of our MIX 54 Scuff palette.
Key variations of the colour nudged toward a greener cast while notable combinations featured black and grey in graphic printed textiles. Utilitarian neutrals also made a strong statement across disciplines.
Multiple shades of tinted greys used simultaneously proved a popular choice for many textile and surface students.
Of particular note were the hand painted and then woven textiles by Rosie May Greenbank of Norwich University of the Arts, the Jesmonite tiles by LJB Studio of Leeds Arts University, and the poetic installation of hung textiles and pale dried flowers by Katerina Knight of Glasgow School of Art.
Once again, our trend Scuff comes to mind; these young designers are avoiding excess and focusing on the plain and simple, often starting with materials that are already there. References to architecture and its construction materials are suggested in palettes of sophisticated tinted greys.
Designers from top:
Kate Durie, Leeds Arts University | Brooke Wakeman, Arts University Bournemouth | Evie Satterthwaite, Leeds Arts University | LJB Studio, Leeds Arts University | Rosie May Greenbank, Norwich University of the Arts | Katerina Knight of Glasgow School of Art
New Designers is at the Business Design Centre, London until 29 June.