"There is a saying in the Neverland, that every time you breathe, a grown up dies." - Peter Pan Collar Trend

"Oh! The Cleverness of me!"

J.M. Barrie - Peter Pan

The Peter Pan Collar trend is a mix of cuteness and sophistication. The trend allows you to accessorise an outfit to make it a little less harsh, and a little more sweet.

There are many tops and dresses out there with the gorgeous rounded neck collar that spurred on the future of the trend: attachable/detachable collars.

These new amazing accessories are a fantastic item to have in your wardrobe (or your jewellery box.. whichever way you look at it!). The full collars you can buy are great if you don't own any shirts as they can be slipped onto the top of a casual round neck to create a more sophisticated look. There are so many different kinds of collars, but a lot of them are beaded and embroidered, making the collar a really gorgeous adornment to any outfit.

An addition to the Peter Pan Collar Trend is the Collar Tips many high street stores are selling. For the smart girls who own a shirt or two but would like to jazz them up a little, these beauties are gold.

As an alternative to a necklace or a large pair of earrings, the Collar Tips are a slightly more eccentric way to explore accessories for clothing.

Take a look at some of my favourite Peter Pan Collars and Collar Tips on the High Street:

A selection from Topshop:

A selection from ASOS:

A selection from Miss Selfridge:

Kate Lynch Website

I've been very busy over this weekend creating a new website for myself, hence no blog posts!


I've also re-created my blog design, basing it around my website theme.


Please take a look at my new designs on my brand new website here :)

BetaFashion: Heaven's Door Project

I designed a scarf print for the BetaFashion competition Heaven's Door Project.


It would be amazing if you could take the time to vote for my print! Click here to vote.


The winner of each competition receives £300 and could see their design sold on the BetaFashion store in Topshop and many more stores!

"Death has always been a seminal theme in the arts, with little wonder why as it is the most universal of topics, sure to engage and stir the emotions of each one of us. It's relationship with fashion however is somewhat more curious and unexpected, particularly in the commercial arena. Yet in recent years we've seen death play a prominent role in fashion, particularly with the use of Skulls, crossing over from being mainly the reserve of the Rock scene to something far more mainstream, advocated in particular by the likes of Alexander McQueen. Historically skulls have been used as the very symbols of death and mortality, but notably also as symbols for poison, vanity and more. There is even some suggestion that the large eye sockets of skulls create an inherent visual appeal to us due to a phenomena called Neoteny.

Looking forward to Autumn/Winter the topic of this project therefore is skulls. We're looking for scarf designs that embrace this topic and represent it in a beautiful and contemporary way."

Floral Friday: Samantha Richardson

For this weeks Floral Friday I have chosen Samantha Richardson, who's work I found on the Artsthread website. 


Despite her graduate collection not solely focusing on florals, I was attracted to her designs as I really loved her combination of florals and birds. 


Her beautiful outcomes are a part of her graduate collection named 'Where the Pelicans fly', an interior based project with gorgeous prints, created by Samantha's fantastic talent for drawing and watercolour. 


Having just graduated from London Metropolitan University after completing her degree in BA (Hons) Textile Design, Samantha is enjoying her free time and trying to develop her love for textiles and create her own style of working. On her Artsthread page, she says she enjoys recording and photographing objects that she can go back to and re-discover at a later date.


"Samantha's work is aimed at the interiors market; creating highly detailed, luxurious fabrics for bespoke cushions, throws and furnishings is where her passion lies".


To see more of Samantha, visit her Artsthread page here and visit her website here.

I can't stop listening to...

A Real Hero (Drive Original Movie Soundtrack) by College & Electric Youth 

Graduate Profile: Hannah Miles

Another follow on post from my New Designers 2012: My Selections post (see here), it's Hannah Miles' turn for a graduate profile.

The Lougborough University stand was right next to mine at New Designers and I was incredibly interested in going to see what the students had produced as I went to look at Loughborough as a University choice. The work on the Loughborough stand was excellent with lots of great prints, fantastic weave and an innovative moving dress. 

However, it was Hannah Miles' beautiful floral collection that really caught my eye. Despite florals being one of the most popular prints around, its hard to design one that actually differs from the rest.

Hannah's collection was full of outstanding florals: beautifully drawn florals and fantastic placement prints. The collection really was stunning and I stood there for about five minutes saying how much I wanted all of the clothes! 

Here, Hannah talks about her graduate collection and her many inspirations and ambitions. 

Name: Hannah Miles

Age:22
Course: Printed Textile Design
University: Loughborough University

What was your concept for your graduate collection? 

My collection was based around the title 'Who said romance is dead?" 

I thought of this title over the summer before I went back to university for my final year. I always knew I wanted to do a floral project, but i wanted to give a standard floral project a twist. This is where the title came in and it allowed me to draw my florals in their dead and alive forms, giving my designs an edge.

What is the key feature in your graduate collection? 

I focused on the placement of my print. I wanted my designs to be desirable, current and wearable to all women. 

How would you describe the way you work? 

I always work by hand drawing my imagery. I like to start with fine liner pen to grasp the form of the imagery and then move onto colour which then forms the basis of my design work.

What inspired you to study Textiles? 

I have always had a love for fashion but did not want to go down the garment design route. I love to draw so printed textiles seemed like the best option for me. 

Did you collaborate with any artists/designers/companies or complete any work placements during your time at university?  

I carried out a number of work placements during my holiday time from university. I worked for companies such as Bolongaro Trevor, Brora, Ted Baker, Reiss and Nicole Farhi. 

What inspires you?

The streets inspire me. Seeing someone wearing something i like helps me develop my designs 

Who are your favourite artists/designers/companies? 

My favourite designer is Erdem without a doubt. The placement of his print and imagery he uses are always so beautiful I admire the creativity and fashion knowledge of his team! 

What's next?? 

Next I am off to New York to work for a company called 'Collection 18' for a year, or more ... wish me luck :)

Where can we see more of you?

Loughborough Textiles Graduates Page

Hannah Miles Blog

Graduate Profile: Natasha Bugg

Natasha Buggs fantastic geometric prints really caught my eye whilst browsing through Artsthread. Her graduate collection uses a mix of bright and subtle beautiful colours and her fashion illustrations are a great representation of the final prints and collection concept.

Here, Natasha talks about the concept for her graduate collection and what lies in her future as a Textile Designer.

Name: Natasha Bugg

Age: 22

Course:BA Textiles (Hons)

University: Norwich University College of the Arts

What was your concept for your graduate collection?

The concept for my graduate collection was around the idea of body image. I used scanned images of my body to develop into digital print designs. I wanted to convey the idea that whether you like your body or not it could be developed to make beautiful fashion fabrics to cover the body.

What is the key feature in your graduate collection?

The key feature in my graduate collection would be my own style of fashion contexts. I used scanned in faces and arms and arranged them to form a ‘model’ to input my fashion prints onto.

How would you describe the way you work?

I would say the way I work is raw to start with (photography, scanned images, drawings) but then developed and experimented with the use of Photoshop.

What inspired you to study Textiles?

I have always been inspired by art, design and fashion/interiors. Before starting my BA Textiles course my view of what Textiles could be was very limited but now I realise that Textiles is so open and that we are designers.

Did you collaborate with any artists/designers/companies or complete any work placements during your time at university? 

No, but I have taken part in competitions such as Bradford and Jam Tart.

What inspires you?

Prints! It doesn’t matter whether they are for fashion, interiors, stationary, cards I always focus on the print. For me it is more about the design rather than the fabric or material the print is placed upon.

Who are your favourite artists/designers/companies?

Basso & Brooke, Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, Jeremy Scott.

What's next??

I recently exhibited at New Designers Part 1 2012, Islington, London and I am currently in process of working with View Studios. I am also going to be involved in Patternbases first book project. 

Where can we see more of you?

You can visit my tumblr at natashabugg.tumblr.com. There you can find my graduate work but also see what I have been up to since graduating and new designers such as drawing and entering competitions such as Beta Fashion.

Floral Friday: Rachel Trenouth

Rachel Trenouth's gorgeous florals are very nontraditional, and this is why I love them. Rich in colour with eye-catching imagery, her prints are truly outstanding.


Having recently finished her BA(Hons) in Textile Design at Nottingham Trent University, Rachel's degree collection named "Captured Apparition" was inspired by blurred florals and the essence of light and shadow.

On her Artsthread page, Rachel says of her work:


"I used an array of digital and photographic methods to capture imagery such as scanning, photography and photograms and it resulted in a collection of diverse digital image sources which translated well into an original collection of digital prints.


I enjoy celebrating digital print and the vast unique qualities that are achievable. Strong photography and CAD based skills along with an eye for composition, colour and pattern, enable me to exploit and blur the boundaries between photography and textile design.

Pushing the effects achievable due to advancements in new technology makes my work fresh, on trend and exciting, offering an inspiring insight into new design outcomes.

I have discovered my own specific style of working; however I am a very versatile designer, and equally relish producing designs tailored to a specific company style."

Visit Rachel Trenouths website here and her Artsthread here.

I can't stop listening to...

In My Life - The Beatles

Olympic Fashion Insiration 2012

With the Olympics moving ever closer, I thought I'd create a post with many designs I've found in which sports inspiration is clearly shown.


It's not just the London 2012 Olympics that have created a bond between fashion and sports. Both Stella McCartney and Alexander McQueen have designed collections for sports labels: McCartney for Adidas and McQueen for Puma. Marc Jacobs and Luella have also designed trainers for Vans.


Here are my chosen designs from Resort 2013 collections and Autumn/Winter 2012 collections:

3.1 Phillip Lim Autumn/Winter 2012

Stella McCartney Autumn/Winter 2012

Ohne Titel Autumn/Winter 2012

Ohnel Titel Resort 2013

NAHM Resort 2013

Richard Chai Love Resort 2013

Preen Resort 2013

Christopher Kane Resort 2013

Stella McCartney Team GB for London Olympics 2012