In the Spring of 2023 I discovered a wonderful design community founded by the creative minds at Make It In Design. Headed by Rachel Taylor and Beth Kempster they are a multi-disciplinary team of creative experts with a diverse range of backgrounds. They share their expertise and knowledge to inspire other designers and creatives and to foster a supportive community.
Each month there are industry experts who come together to create a design brief working closely with trend forecasters. It’s a place for designers to brainstorm and share their ideas, help each other and cheer for each other.
Developing Ideas
My first assignment was to create a kidswear & accessories collection reflecting the Miami Beach Club trend! With a love of art deco architecture and bright colours this was a great project to kick off with. The first task was to put together a mood board. I collected images that conveyed to me the vibe and feeling of a Miami Beach Club. What was the eptiome of endless summer days and beach fun? Being a child of the 70s and 80s there are many trends from my youth I see repeating again but with an updated current feel.
Next comes the digital sketching. I work mostly on my iPad experimenting with shapes and colours, manipulating often very simple shapes that transform and lead into other ideas. My iPad has become a digital sketch book and is such an easy portable way to develop concepts. I take my ideas and refine them further on my computer, putting elements into technical seamless repeats that can be printed on a wide range of products. Mixing different patterns and scale is the key to creating a cohesive collection of designs. With interiors being my main focus of design the challenge of coming up with designs that would work on smaller scales and children’s clothing is fun to do.
Showcasing a Collection
There are many digital mockups available which help to visualise how fabrics can look in use. With a bit of computer wizardry a whole range of cute kids clothes can be displayed and variations on colour and scale can quickly be developed by switching things around.
Would a heavy dose of vibrant maximalism be too much for you though in your home? We often wear pattern and colour yet we shy away from having it in our interior environment. Kids generally do love colour so interjecting some fun bedding or cushions would be great in a tween bedroom for them to express themsleves and add their own stamp of personailty.
