Amber Millar
BA (Hons) Textiles in Practice
As a textile artist, working in the medium of knit within a fashion context, I take the cliched capsule wardrobe and steer it towards ambiguous territory that encompasses both art and fashion. All my work is born of a story, the meanderings of which determine my colour palette, textures and form. My collection, Nomad is inspired by Icelandic landscapes and tales of the Wild Man, embedded in the folklore of every nation. The Wild Man is a creature rarely visible, camouflaged in animal skins, vegetation and found objects. I wanted to produce knitwear using natural materials that when finished continued to be harmonious with the desolate landscapes of the original concept.
I work in an intuitive way, developing ideas through sampling and allowing each new layer or piece to influence my next step. I combine machine knit with freeform crochet, embellished with diverse fibres to produce textured and complex relief surfaces. I leave no waste product, taking failed samples and scraps, re-piecing, layering and embellishing to form new composite fabrics. Lastly, an important element of my work is a final, carefully choreographed photoshoot of my work in a setting that reflects the initial concept.
Moving forward, I see my future being in the world of knitwear design and look forward to translating creative design into wearable and marketable pieces.
