Friday 24rd January 2014. Meeting/Lunch and Networking Opportunity.

Simon Platts, ASOS sourcing director

Lorna Fitzsimons, ex MP for Rochdale (directing a new initiative to develop textile manufacturing in Greater Manchester, has a textile degree background.)

It was a great opportunity and particularly insightful for me to be apart of the informal conversation we had with Simon Platts and Lorna Fitzsimons. Always visioning my work with an Interior Context, it opened my eyes to the potential of diversifying, and being able to sell my prints for multiple context. From a business perspective, as a print designer I obviously focus on designing but hearing the background of how an active company works with buying and outsourcing it is incredibly interesting, its opened my eyes to the opportunities that are potential when finishing my degree.  

We were given the opportunity to show some of our own work, I produced a few of my digital print designs that were live on my laptop, in progress. Lorna particularly loved one of my first ever Quink ink samples that I have taken into photoshop and created a Croquis print. She commented on the high image quality, showed it to Simon who equally suggested the broad malleable qualities of the print. The image is originally drawn on tissue paper which immediately identifies the imagery with a delicate background. Lorna mentioned being able to see faces, arms and even a skyline in the print that is just something I wouldn't have seen myself. Getting an outside perspective from a professional company and textiles graduate gave me a huge amount of self esteem in regards to my work and incredible motivation. It has made me view my work in a different context and on a more professional level. Lorna mentioned easily being able to sell my print to a diverse market and not to change it. She asked me to show her and Simon the corresponding prints within the 'Chalet' collection, she again liked another print with more of a repetitive brick style, showing the same diverse qualities of the previous print. She did give me feedback on one print from the same collection that was physically printed off, mentioning a lack of depth within the image, in comparison to the strong qualities of previous two. We discussed how important my fabric choices were in order to maintain the delicacy and depth my prints hold on screen. Lorna turned to the fashion students and said she could see my prints on garments and collaboration would be a good idea to show off my prints, and equally their garments. We left the lunch with Simon and Lorna having being offered their contact details and the opportunity to contact them in the future. Rhiannon one of the fashion students came down to speak to me after regarding the good feedback I received from the pair, mentioning that they were discussing my print after I had left the room. I am considering speaking to Rhiannon again, or one of the fashion students about collaborating with the idea of putting my prints to their work. Potentially during the time in Unit X, when we have more time to focus on our output for degree show.