Art and Design Textiles
The Art Textiles foundation curriculum encourages and supports students to explore and develop their creativity through experimentation with a wide range of textile materials and techniques, using the work of others and the world around them as inspiration.
Year 9 - Foundation Year
Students have expert tuition in both surface design and construction. Our teachers are highly skilled, well-informed, industry specialists with a wide range of experience working in the Fashion and Textiles Industries in the UK and overseas.
Projects are designed to build skills in research, critical and contextual analysis, digital presentation and communication, while introducing students to a wide range of specialist techniques including: drawing, stitching, printing, dying, weaving, felting, fabric and pattern manipulation, 3D modelling, fashion illustration and digital development.
The skills developed throughout the Foundation Year enable our students to embark on the GCSE course with independence, creative confidence and an experimental approach.
Timetable
Over a fortnightly timetable, students receive:
- 4 hours of guided classroom learning
- 40 minutes of guided independent homework
Enrichment and Extra Curricular
Students are given the opportunity to engage in a wide variety of enrichment and extra-curricular activities. Frequent research study trips, including trips overseas and regular visits to the Tate Modern and Victoria and Albert Museum help to inform decision making. Links with local artists, the London College of Fashion the University of Oxford have provided masterclass workshops and immersive experiences to enrich the learning experience.
EPQ and Arts Award Gold offer A Level students the opportunity to extend their creative studies, rewarded with certified qualifications.
To Read
Books
- Textile Artist: Layered Cloth: The Art of Fabric Manipulation, Ann Small, Search Press 2017
- The Art of Manipulating Fabric, Colette Wolf, Krause Publications 2003
- Fabric Manipulation: 150 Creative Sewing Techniques, Ruth Singer, D&C 2013
- Experimental Textiles, Kim Thittichai, Batsford 2009
- Stitching the Textured Surface, Lynda Monk, D4daisy Books 2009
- Raising the Surface with Machine Embroidery, Maggie Grey, Batsford 2004
- Metric Pattern Cutting for Women’s Wear by Winifred Aldrich, sixth edition, 2015, Wiley
- Pattern Magic, Tomoko Nakamichi, Laurence King Publishing, 2010
- The Found Object in Textile Art, Cas Holmes, Batsford 2010
- Stitch Stories: Personal Places, Spaces and Traces in Textile art, Cas Holmes, Batsford 2015
Websites
- https://www.textileartist.org/ - Textile and fibre artists
To Watch
- ‘Free Cutting’ Lecture by Julian Roberts and Mari Bendeliani: https://vimeo.com/426591789
- Reverse Subtraction Cutting by Julian Roberts: https://vimeo.com/115221136
- Documentary – McQueen - Surrounding the life, career and artistry of Alexander McQueen) https://www.amazon.co.uk/McQueen-Lee-Alexander/dp/B07D6SGRM8
- Documentary – The First Monday in May - The film follows the creation of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's most attended fashion exhibit in history: the 2015 art exhibition China: Through the Looking Glass by curator Andrew Bolton at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art. http://www.firstmondayinmay.com/
- Documentary – Dries - Portrait of the Fashion Designer Dries Van Noten who, for more than 25 years, has remained independent in a landscape of fashion consolidation and globalization. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dries-Reiner-Holzemer/dp/B073X4YTXS
- Documentary – Westwood.Punk.Icon.Activity (2018) – Detailing Vivenne Westwood’s career and how she is moving the brand forward http://www.viviennewestwoodfilm.com/
- Documentary – Dior & I (2014) - Raf Simmons first collection at Dior. http://www.diorandimovie.com/
- Documentary Series – Alexa Chung: The future of fashion (2016) - Continuation of the first documentary, looking deeper at ‘behind the scenes’ roles, and what the fashion landscape looks like in terms of the future, sustainability and the environment. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1u0KzfgVn1I
- Documentary – Alexa Chung: Fashion Industry Secrets (2015) - Covers a lot of the different jobs and opportunities you can be faced with through fashion. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bi2nc_xxnvs
- Documentary Series – Secrets of the Museum BBC (2021) - information about the V&A, the episodes focus on a variety of artefacts but also have fashion references. https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m000f1xt/secrets-of-the-museum
- Film –
- Yves Saint Laurent (2014)
- Funny Face (1957) fashion/costume by Givenchy
- Coco Before Chanel (2009)
- Phantom Thread (2017) - won Oscar for Best Costume
To Listen
- Podcast – Dressed: The History of Fashion – explores not only the history in terms of style and examining certain products/pieces, but also a deeper look into some cultural aspects e.g. interviews with specialists in traditional Arab dress and Black dandyism.
- Podcast – In Vogue: 1990s - exploring fashion’s seismic shifts throughout the 1990s
- Podcast – The Business of Fashion Podcast – up-to-date fashion news and information about the industry (BoF is also a good website for people to read, with news, careers, information about brands etc).
To Research
- How the work of artists, craftspeople or designers relates to cultural, social, contemporary and/or historical environments, situations or issues.
- How ideas, feelings and forms can generate responses.
- Decorative textile techniques:
- https://www.youtube.com/ – videos for decorative textile techniques
- https://www.pinterest.co.uk/ – inspiration
To Visit
- Art:
- The Tate Modern, London - https://www.tate.org.uk/visit
- The Saatchi Gallery, London - https://www.saatchigallery.com/
- Cultural, social and anthropological:
- The Horniman Museum, South London - https://www.horniman.ac.uk/
- The British Museum, London - https://www.britishmuseum.org/
- The Victoria and Albert Museum, London - https://www.vam.ac.uk/
- The Maidstone Museum, Maidstone - https://museum.maidstone.gov.uk/
- Textiles and fashion:
- The Victoria and Albert Museum, London - https://www.vam.ac.uk/
- The Fashion and Textile Museum, London - https://www.ftmlondon.org/
- Selfridges Department Store, London - https://www.harveynichols.com/
- Harvey Nichols Department Store, London -https://www.harveynichols.com/
- Liberty Department Store, London - https://www.libertylondon.com/
Key Stage 4
Building on the skills learned in the Foundation Year, the Art and Design endorsed Textiles GCSE gives students the opportunity to develop and apply their knowledge and understanding of sources, ideas and concepts, using textile, art and design skills to follow a more independent line of enquiry.
Students are guided and supported to investigate and explore their own ideas creatively using a wide range of techniques and media including: printed textiles, constructed textiles, surface pattern, textile and fibre art, installed textiles, digital textiles fabric and pattern manipulation, 3D modelling, fashion design and illustration. Our teachers are highly skilled, well-informed, industry specialists with a wide range of experience working in the Textiles and Fashion Industries in the UK and overseas.
Many of our students go on to further develop their creative ideas and Art Textiles skills at A Level.
Examination Board/Qualification: AQA GCSE in Art and Design (Textile Design)
Specification: 8204
Course Content
The GCSE course has two parts; a portfolio of work produced over two years, and the Externally Set Assignment (ESA) performed at the end of the two years. The work is marked internally, then moderated by an external examiner from AQA.
The course requires students to produce a portfolio of work which consists of investigations, observational work, experimental ideas and more developed individual project work, leading to innovative and creative final outcomes.
The students’ final work is displayed in an end of year show to which parents and friends are invited.
Timetable
Over a fortnightly timetable, students receive:
- 5 hours of guided classroom learning
- 1 hours of guided independent homework
Assessment
Portfolio unit – 60%
The portfolio of work consists of a sustained personal investigation into a chosen theme, idea, or context, plus a selection of other work. The work is completed in school, supported by homework.
Externally set assignment – 40%
The ESA takes place during the Spring Term in Year 11, when students will respond to one of a range of given starting points provided by the examination board. After the preparatory period, students will sit a 10 hour examination in which they will produce a finished outcome.
Enrichment and Extra Curricular
Students are given the opportunity to engage in a wide variety of enrichment and extra-curricular activities. Frequent research study trips, including trips overseas and regular visits to the Tate Modern and Victoria and Albert Museum help to inform decision making. Links with local artists, the London College of Fashion the University of Oxford have provided masterclass workshops and immersive experiences to enrich the learning experience.
EPQ and Arts Award Gold offer A Level students the opportunity to extend their creative studies, rewarded with certified qualifications.
To Read
Books
- Textile Artist: Layered Cloth: The Art of Fabric Manipulation, Ann Small, Search Press 2017
- The Art of Manipulating Fabric, Colette Wolf, Krause Publications 2003
- Fabric Manipulation: 150 Creative Sewing Techniques, Ruth Singer, D&C 2013
- Experimental Textiles, Kim Thittichai, Batsford 2009
- Stitching the Textured Surface, Lynda Monk, D4daisy Books 2009
- Raising the Surface with Machine Embroidery, Maggie Grey, Batsford 2004
- Metric Pattern Cutting for Women’s Wear by Winifred Aldrich, sixth edition, 2015, Wiley
- Pattern Magic, Tomoko Nakamichi, Laurence King Publishing, 2010
- The Found Object in Textile Art, Cas Holmes, Batsford 2010
- Stitch Stories: Personal Places, Spaces and Traces in Textile art, Cas Holmes, Batsford 2015
Websites
- https://www.textileartist.org/ - Textile and fibre artists
To Watch
- ‘Free Cutting’ Lecture by Julian Roberts and Mari Bendeliani: https://vimeo.com/426591789
- Reverse Subtraction Cutting by Julian Roberts: https://vimeo.com/115221136
- Documentary – McQueen - Surrounding the life, career and artistry of Alexander McQueen) https://www.amazon.co.uk/McQueen-Lee-Alexander/dp/B07D6SGRM8
- Documentary – The First Monday in May - The film follows the creation of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's most attended fashion exhibit in history: the 2015 art exhibition China: Through the Looking Glass by curator Andrew Bolton at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art. http://www.firstmondayinmay.com/
- Documentary – Dries - Portrait of the Fashion Designer Dries Van Noten who, for more than 25 years, has remained independent in a landscape of fashion consolidation and globalization. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dries-Reiner-Holzemer/dp/B073X4YTXS
- Documentary – Westwood.Punk.Icon.Activity (2018) – Detailing Vivenne Westwood’s career and how she is moving the brand forward http://www.viviennewestwoodfilm.com/
- Documentary – Dior & I (2014) - Raf Simmons first collection at Dior. http://www.diorandimovie.com/
- Documentary Series – Alexa Chung: The future of fashion (2016) - Continuation of the first documentary, looking deeper at ‘behind the scenes’ roles, and what the fashion landscape looks like in terms of the future, sustainability and the environment. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1u0KzfgVn1I
- Documentary – Alexa Chung: Fashion Industry Secrets (2015) - Covers a lot of the different jobs and opportunities you can be faced with through fashion. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bi2nc_xxnvs
- Documentary Series – Secrets of the Museum BBC (2021) - information about the V&A, the episodes focus on a variety of artefacts but also have fashion references. https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m000f1xt/secrets-of-the-museum
- Film –
- Yves Saint Laurent (2014)
- Funny Face (1957) fashion/costume by Givenchy
- Coco Before Chanel (2009)
- Phantom Thread (2017) - won Oscar for Best Costume
To Listen
- Podcast – Dressed: The History of Fashion – explores not only the history in terms of style and examining certain products/pieces, but also a deeper look into some cultural aspects e.g. interviews with specialists in traditional Arab dress and Black dandyism.
- Podcast – In Vogue: 1990s - exploring fashion’s seismic shifts throughout the 1990s
- Podcast – The Business of Fashion Podcast – up-to-date fashion news and information about the industry (BoF is also a good website for people to read, with news, careers, information about brands etc).
To Research
- How the work of artists, craftspeople or designers relates to cultural, social, contemporary and/or historical environments, situations or issues.
- How ideas, feelings and forms can generate responses.
- Decorative textile techniques:
- https://www.youtube.com/ – videos for decorative textile techniques
- https://www.pinterest.co.uk/ – inspiration
To Visit
- Art:
- The Tate Modern, London - https://www.tate.org.uk/visit
- The Saatchi Gallery, London - https://www.saatchigallery.com/
- Cultural, social and anthropological:
- The Horniman Museum, South London - https://www.horniman.ac.uk/
- The British Museum, London - https://www.britishmuseum.org/
- The Victoria and Albert Museum, London - https://www.vam.ac.uk/
- The Maidstone Museum, Maidstone - https://museum.maidstone.gov.uk/
- Textiles and fashion:
- The Victoria and Albert Museum, London - https://www.vam.ac.uk/
- The Fashion and Textile Museum, London - https://www.ftmlondon.org/
- Selfridges Department Store, London - https://www.harveynichols.com/
- Harvey Nichols Department Store, London -https://www.harveynichols.com/
- Liberty Department Store, London - https://www.libertylondon.com/
Key Stage 5
The Art and Design endorsed Textiles A Level gives students the opportunity to develop a very creative approach to textile art, design and fashion, underpinned by art and design principles.Our students are encouraged and supported to pursue their own personal area of interest, whether that be fashion, printed or constructed textiles, surface pattern, textile or fibre art, installed textiles, digital textiles, costume, accessories or interiors. Our teachers are highly skilled, well-informed, industry specialists with a wide range of experience working in the Textiles and Fashion Industries in the UK and overseas.
Students will work towards deep understanding and subject mastery through contextual understanding of sources and conceptual development, carrying out detailed studies of textile techniques and processes, including printed textiles, woven, knitted, non-woven, structural and decorative textiles. Three dimensional shapes will be explored through creative and experimental pattern cutting, draping and garment development.
The department is very successful with students consistently being awarded top grades and securing places to continue their creative studies within higher education.
Examination Board/Qualification: AQA A Level Art and Design (Textile Design)
Specification: 7204
Course Content
The A Level course is based on practical recording, experimentation and personal development of art textile ideas and responses to a range of contexts. It has two parts; a sustained personal investigation produced over the two years, and the Externally Set Assignment (ESA) performed at the end of the two years. The work is marked internally, then moderated by an external examiner from AQA.
The course requires students to produce a portfolio of work consisting of investigations, observational work, experimental ideas and more developed individual project work, leading to innovative and creative final outcomes.
The students’ final work is displayed in an end of year show to which parents and friends are invited.
Timetable
Over a fortnightly timetable, students receive:
- 8 hours of guided classroom learning
- 2 hours of guided independent study
- 10 hours of guided independent homework
Assessment
Personal investigation – 60%
Students are required to conduct a personal investigation into an idea, issue, concept or theme, supported by written material (1000-3000 words of continuous prose). The investigation must be sustained and culminate in a completed outcome or a series of related finished outcomes. It should be an in-depth study that demonstrates the student’s ability to fully explore an idea from an initial starting point, through development work, into final realisation.
Externally set assignment – 40%
Students respond to one of a range of given starting points provided by the examination board. Students will begin preparatory work from 1 February, this can be presented in any suitable format to develop ideas. Following the preparatory period, students must undertake 15 hours of unaided, supervised time to produce a finished outcome or a series of related finished outcomes, informed by their preparatory work.
Enrichment and Extra Curricular
Students are given the opportunity to engage in a wide variety of enrichment and extra-curricular activities. Frequent research study trips, including trips overseas and regular visits to the Tate Modern and Victoria and Albert Museum help to inform decision making. Links with local artists, the London College of Fashion the University of Oxford have provided masterclass workshops and immersive experiences to enrich the learning experience.
EPQ and Arts Award Gold offer A Level students the opportunity to extend their creative studies, rewarded with certified qualifications.
To Read
Books
- Textile Artist: Layered Cloth: The Art of Fabric Manipulation, Ann Small, Search Press 2017
- The Art of Manipulating Fabric, Colette Wolf, Krause Publications 2003
- Fabric Manipulation: 150 Creative Sewing Techniques, Ruth Singer, D&C 2013
- Experimental Textiles, Kim Thittichai, Batsford 2009
- Stitching the Textured Surface, Lynda Monk, D4daisy Books 2009
- Raising the Surface with Machine Embroidery, Maggie Grey, Batsford 2004
- Metric Pattern Cutting for Women’s Wear by Winifred Aldrich, sixth edition, 2015, Wiley
- Pattern Magic, Tomoko Nakamichi, Laurence King Publishing, 2010
- The Found Object in Textile Art, Cas Holmes, Batsford 2010
- Stitch Stories: Personal Places, Spaces and Traces in Textile art, Cas Holmes, Batsford 2015
Websites
- https://www.textileartist.org/ - Textile and fibre artists
To Watch
- ‘Free Cutting’ Lecture by Julian Roberts and Mari Bendeliani: https://vimeo.com/426591789
- Reverse Subtraction Cutting by Julian Roberts: https://vimeo.com/115221136
- Documentary – McQueen - Surrounding the life, career and artistry of Alexander McQueen) https://www.amazon.co.uk/McQueen-Lee-Alexander/dp/B07D6SGRM8
- Documentary – The First Monday in May - The film follows the creation of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's most attended fashion exhibit in history: the 2015 art exhibition China: Through the Looking Glass by curator Andrew Bolton at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art. http://www.firstmondayinmay.com/
- Documentary – Dries - Portrait of the Fashion Designer Dries Van Noten who, for more than 25 years, has remained independent in a landscape of fashion consolidation and globalization. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dries-Reiner-Holzemer/dp/B073X4YTXS
- Documentary – Westwood.Punk.Icon.Activity (2018) – Detailing Vivenne Westwood’s career and how she is moving the brand forward http://www.viviennewestwoodfilm.com/
- Documentary – Dior & I (2014) - Raf Simmons first collection at Dior. http://www.diorandimovie.com/
- Documentary Series – Alexa Chung: The future of fashion (2016) - Continuation of the first documentary, looking deeper at ‘behind the scenes’ roles, and what the fashion landscape looks like in terms of the future, sustainability and the environment. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1u0KzfgVn1I
- Documentary – Alexa Chung: Fashion Industry Secrets (2015) - Covers a lot of the different jobs and opportunities you can be faced with through fashion. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bi2nc_xxnvs
- Documentary Series – Secrets of the Museum BBC (2021) - information about the V&A, the episodes focus on a variety of artefacts but also have fashion references. https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m000f1xt/secrets-of-the-museum
- Film –
- Yves Saint Laurent (2014)
- Funny Face (1957) fashion/costume by Givenchy
- Coco Before Chanel (2009)
- Phantom Thread (2017) - won Oscar for Best Costume
To Listen
- Podcast – Dressed: The History of Fashion – explores not only the history in terms of style and examining certain products/pieces, but also a deeper look into some cultural aspects e.g. interviews with specialists in traditional Arab dress and Black dandyism.
- Podcast – In Vogue: 1990s - exploring fashion’s seismic shifts throughout the 1990s
- Podcast – The Business of Fashion Podcast – up-to-date fashion news and information about the industry (BoF is also a good website for people to read, with news, careers, information about brands etc).
To Research
- How the work of artists, craftspeople or designers relates to cultural, social, contemporary and/or historical environments, situations or issues.
- How ideas, feelings and forms can generate responses.
- Decorative textile techniques:
- https://www.youtube.com/ – videos for decorative textile techniques
- https://www.pinterest.co.uk/ – inspiration
To Visit
- Art:
- The Tate Modern, London - https://www.tate.org.uk/visit
- The Saatchi Gallery, London - https://www.saatchigallery.com/
- Cultural, social and anthropological:
- The Horniman Museum, South London - https://www.horniman.ac.uk/
- The British Museum, London - https://www.britishmuseum.org/
- The Victoria and Albert Museum, London - https://www.vam.ac.uk/
- The Maidstone Museum, Maidstone - https://museum.maidstone.gov.uk/
- Textiles and fashion:
- The Victoria and Albert Museum, London - https://www.vam.ac.uk/
- The Fashion and Textile Museum, London - https://www.ftmlondon.org/
- Selfridges Department Store, London - https://www.harveynichols.com/
- Harvey Nichols Department Store, London -https://www.harveynichols.com/
- Liberty Department Store, London - https://www.libertylondon.com/
Careers
We have a wealth of information on our Careers page - Please click here to visit.
