Origin, The London Craft Fair

Opening Date: 2006-Oct-03
Closing Date: 2006-Oct-15
This is a different type of research and was an opportunity for me to test my collection on a more commercial market. This show is by selection only and the competition is tough; the work has to be of a very high standard to be accepted.
I have always used my historical costume research as inspiration for my fabrics and garments and decided to develop some of my ideas from both Queen Fabiolas Lace Biennale and from Blind Art into a range of garments and accessories for this show. The show was a success and involved me in further research into marketing and manufacturing my products. This type of work feeds directly back into my teaching in the Fashion and Textile department and has been invaluable in inspiring and involving students in a live project.
This year I have applied and been accepted again and am producing a much larger collection in collaboration with a colleague at Bath Spa. Over the summer we have been supported by Artswork and have offered student work placements in our company 'Bradley and Ralph' www.bradleyandralph.com. Students have been involved in all aspects of designing and developing the collection and will also obtain some retail experience by working on the stand during the show.