Isabelle Pennington-Edmead MA Design: Textiles for Fashion
My Masters research and practice has a broad attention of study where I have focused on the 1861 Lancashire cotton famine and how it correlates to the slave trade in the USA.
Along with my research into my grandparent’s migration from the Caribbean to Britain in the 1950s, these elements comprise the focus of this collection.
The underlying themes of my work includes heritage, diaspora, homecoming, and nostalgia. The two main themes of research also led me to further explorations and the discovery of techniques that are showcased within the collection. These subject matters stem from an interest in my own background and an exploration into my heritage; the brand is an extension of myself.
Both subjects inspired me to create the concept of using print stories; a series of prints depicting the stories of each of these themes. One of my final objectives for this Masters was to create a brand that would be ready to be launched on completion of the MA course. Not only has my research been a creative exploration, but I have also undertaken a vast amount of research into business, marketing, branding, and sustainability. The inspiration behind branding, prints and clothing all comes from my ancestorial history and combines the cultures of my mixed heritage and research.
