Studio Work

Material Research / Fibre Exploration / Sustainable Design

Jennifer Williams is a material researcher and sustainable innovator within the fashion and textiles industry. Specialising in woven textiles, Williams explores unconventional materials whilst pushing traditional woven boundaries, exploring the relationships between cloth and fibre. With a vendetta towards cotton and synthetic fibres, Wiliams is tackling the pre-conceptions and connotations associated with using readily available materials around us.

About Jennifer Anne Studios

A background of my studio work

The craft of weaving is something that is unfortunately dying in todays society, which is why I want to reignite the spark and excitement surrounding woven textiles, whilst exploring and developing material research and sustainable innovation.

Having studied Textile Design at Nottingham Trent as an undergrad in 2016 to 2019, I got a strong taste for exploring and experimenting with a range of fibres and structures to really play with the potential of weave. Dabbling in digital weaving on the jacquard and TC2’s I found that my passion for weaving stood more predominantly in hand weaving on the old dobby floor looms and table looms. I really pushed myself during this time to experiment with a whole range of different yarns, patterns and colours, which you can see in my undergrad portfolio.

Graduating in 2019 I had a lucky escape from the pandemic affecting my studies, and during this unusual time, I learnt how to spin my own yarns. Being so adversed to cotton, I decided to explore the different yarns I could spin myself, such as flax, wool, alpaca, banana, soybean, mint, bamboo, hemp… the list goes on! Not having access to my own loom at this time, I experimented with using these yarns within my knits; both hand and machine, as well as through crochet.

Knowing that I would ultimately study a Masters at some point but the current world situation not being the most stable, I decided to start my own small business creating sustainable accessories using materials such as linen, raffia and local hand-spun alpaca from my small village in Norfolk. Once things became a bit more stable again I decided now was the time to return to Nottingham to continue my studies through an MA in Fashion and Textile Design Innovations, to which I have now graduated with an Exceptional Distinction.

Studying part time means I explored further opportunities around me whilst developing my skills and ideas during my studies. My reason for returning to study an MA was to further explore the relationship between fibre and cloth. I really wanted to push the narrative that there are far better alternatives to cotton, some that you may have never even dreamt of using! To find out more please take a look at my project titled ‘A Hairy Situation’ alongside the accompanying research and films. If you would like to follow my continued journey please follow my instagram at: @jenniferannestudios.

As I mentioned before, unfortunately weaving is becoming a dying skill, I have run various workshops alongside studying my Masters and since graduating have worked part time as an Art and Design lecturer at my local college. Inspiring the next generation of artists and designers, opening their minds to sustainable alternatives and exploring the materials we have around us. I want to bring excitement and curiosity back into not only textiles but design and material, showing people the potential and never ending possibilities whilst at the same time educating on the damaging effects fashion and textiles currently have on the environment and what we can do to reduce the negative impact.

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