design project
THE IDLE BEEKEEPER
The central theme of research and inspiration for this project comes the historical background of the garden at Cotswold Farm. The garden was designed in the 1930s by Norman Jewson, an architect-craftsman of the Arts and Crafts movement. I am particularly drawn to the geometric flower beds which are a striking feature of the garden, and this interplay of geometry and nature.
With references to Arts and Crafts, and a focus on texture, this collection aims to celebrate craftsmanship and longevity, with a strong sense of the personal identity and the hand of the designer-maker. The collection intends to be seasonless, with a central focus around modular pieces designed for versatility and layering, making each look diverse, playful and adaptable.
A key aspect of this project was working with bamboo harvested from my garden. I experimented with cutting, drilling and heat bending the material to explore how it could be manipulated.
In my collection I used the bamboo as toggle buttons, as well as bending it to create a beekeeping inspired headpiece. I am fascinated by the material and have only scratched the surface of what I could do with it, which makes me excited to explore material innovation further!
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