International Design Competition Finalist: Teresita Marrero Escalona
Teresita presents us with an innovative proposal using leather as the fundamental material in the creation of jewellery.
Name: Meghan Beattie
Education: Costume Design, Birmingham City University (UK)
Specialisms: Costume Design – Stage Screen Dance/ Art History/ Conservation of Fine Art
“For this experiment I used more dramatic colours, inspired by the contrasting colours of the deep sea fish. I also added a patterned lining to the inside of the skirt, inspired by my stitched piping leather experiment. I find by adding the piping effect to a flexible piece, it replicates the suction cups of a tentacle. The contrasting lining also helps to break up the amount of leather around the hip area, preventing it from looking too heavy and weighed down”
Meghan’s presentation is inspired by deep sea creatures bioluminescence, organic shapes and textures. With a focus specifically on circles and curves Meghan sought to replicate these patterns through the manipulation of fabric. She describes how for example the curve of a jellyfishes head could be represented in a scalloped edge and a fishes sharp tail fin as pleating. In order to learn more about leather Meghan sourced some waste off cuts from an upholstery company and experimented with a number of techniques such as hand stitched patchwork, ruffles, piping with chiffon and leather contrast.
Her final designs combine lightweight pleated fabric with various structured leather garments from trousers to overskirts, corsets and suspender style leather straps.
Teresita presents us with an innovative proposal using leather as the fundamental material in the creation of jewellery.
White leather has had a bit of a bad rep in the past – justice for white stilettos! – but in fact, it's a hard-working shade that can elevate an outfit in a number of ways, particularly during summer.
This month, we sat down with 23-year-old Tara Roberts; a UK-based sustainable fashion advocate and contributor to the Real Leather. Stay Different. TikTok channel.
Braydan and Misty Shaw own and run Burns 1876, a business dating back to the days of the wild west. And they have a mission to keep leather crafting skills alive. We had a chat about the company’s history, their love of leather and how they are mentoring a