Lili Chen
My specific interest lies in engagement with the zero-waste process and playful textile design process. Its ability to connect me to the environments and objects surround me. Throughout my projects, I started by doing primary and secondary research. Exploring design that focuses on the relationship between patterns, colour, and textures, understanding how the choices of different materials and yarns to transfer pattern and colour are key to design. Through this process, the research and the processes that have been undertaken to develop my work are often seen as important as the final work itself and allow me to deeply understand my work in context and see how it has been initiated and developed. I have had a consistent flow of development and it is clear how one idea has moved to the next，and also intrigued me to consider the connection between human beings, art, and the couture environment.
Material play
My design collections are inspired by a love of process. During this year I have been focusing on sustainability, recycled and remake materials is sourced where possible such as recycled old clothes, plastic bags and mix materials. I transform waste materials into aesthetic designs. Sampling includes a range of yarns as well as plastic, Bubble wrap, feather，paper and cloth. The infusion of traditional techniques and unusual materials has created playful samples each with their own individual personalities and specific qualities. By thinking further during the researches and the making process, an experiment with material, colour and technique, is created. Through the processes， I transformed into different materials and products, for the contemporary interior and fashion accessorial. My designs address contemporary themes as environmentalism, excess, utility, and (re)use with a fresh and playful sense of experimentation.
PLAY
My design theme is play and also surrounded by the up-cycle waste materials process and its ability to connect me to the environments and objects surround me. My work begins with intensive primary and secondary research, considering a traditional woven design and contemporary art sense. Heavily inspired by tweed textile which exploring different kinds of yarns to crate lovely colour and texture on the surface. The foundations are formed through observational and experimental drawings by using mixed mediums and techniques. Exploring colours, texture and patterns are the three main elements in this project. During the design process combining new material processes with traditional woven structures to create designs with rich colour and lush surfaces. I always encourage myself to find a path by taking risks and applying unexpected, sometimes playful solutions via experimentation and improvisation. By using a Dobby loom, I designed bespoke peg plans and doing hand-woven designs each using a variety of yarns including new exotic yarns, velvet ribbon, wool, and handmade cloth yarn to create different rich, luxurious results. The main collection is woven with 100% lambswool yarn as the warp and mostly fancy yarn can be made up of other yarns as the weft. The use of these two very different yarns has resulted in sturdy fabrics quality, unique, highly complex fabrics, and patterns that are suitable for fashion.
My work is directed at the high fashion marketplace. my project also considers a circular design and zero waste that are more sustainable. I like to push the limits of what fabric can be, reusing redundant Yarns, and most recently, this includes new designs with plastic yarns and recycled yarns.
