The Design Indaba Conference is in full swing, and along with it the Emerging Creatives programme at the V&A Watershed. Keep up to date with news, interviews and what we’re up to by following us on Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat: ogilvyct.
We caught up with a few of the Cape Town based designers. Yesterday we featured, Lynne Avis – see the article here.
Next up, Megan Smith…
MEGAN SMITH [CLOTH & PRINT]
“Cloth and Print is a small textile studio based in Cape Town. Original designs are hand screen printed onto natural fabrics and made into beautiful accessories and home wear. Small runs keep things special and individual. Where CLOTH meets PRINT…one repeat at a time.”
Q: How did you get into textile design?
A: I adore the texture of fabrics. I remember visiting fabric stores when I was young and running my hands across the rolls and rolls of different cloth and relishing the sensation of the various textures. I have always drawn and invariably the drawings become patterns. Textile Design was a natural choice for a girl who loves cloth with a bit of print!
Q: Which things in your environment are you inspired by?
A: I feel inspired by the natural beauty we find around us. Flowers in particular are a beautiful source of inspiration for my work. I also find that travel opens up my eyes to new cultures and I get a real sense of joy when I learn about people across the globe and the creativity process they follow.
Q: What has been the most exciting piece you have created? .
A: The story behind the design, is for me, the most exciting part of a print. It gives a real sense of depth to a pattern and tells a tale beyond the surface of a textile print. My design called Granny’s Beads is one of those patterns that began from a memory of when I was a little girl…my granny would let me rummage through her dressing-table drawers, that packed with her sparkly brooches & colourful beaded necklaces. I loved the feel of the smooth, cool beads sliding through my fingers. This print is a nostalgic memory of my Granny and her beads, captured on cloth in a simple and graphic way.
Find out more about Megan and her work here: http://clothandprint.com/; Instagram @cloth_and_print; Facebook https://www.facebook.com/clothandprint/; email [email protected]