I am a textile and fashion designer based in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
I specialise in garment construction and printed textiles, here you can get a glimpse into my research and work.
Crinoline & Couture
This project was inspired by the crinoline and the restrictions in women’s fashion faced in the era of the crinoline that also persists today.
The fabric was hand dyed and screen printed
The Inspiration for the print came from looking at birds, their vibrant colours but also their textures.
The screen print art work was hand drawn and placed as a repeat pattern in illustrator.
Screen printing is a laborious process depending on the size of your screen it can take hours to line up your perfect repeat pattern.
Photos by Cat Short
Poppies in Repeat
This project was inspired by the famous poem Poppies in July by Silvia Plath mixed with the idea of urban landscape travel and maps.
Little poppies, little hell flames,
Do you do no harm?
You flicker. I cannot touch you.
I put my hands among the flames. Nothing burns
And it exhausts me to watch you
Flickering like that, wrinkly and clear red, like the skin of a mouth.
A mouth just bloodied.
Little bloody skirts!
There are fumes I cannot touch.
Where are your opiates, your nauseous capsules?
If I could bleed, or sleep! –
If my mouth could marry a hurt like that!
Or your liquors seep to me, in this glass capsule,
Dulling and stilling.
But colorless. Colorless.
By Sylvia Plath (1932-1963)
Throughout placement I developed my illustration skills, which is evident in the digital illustration. Illustrator has been one of my most valued tools, from drawing CAD tech packs to web design to more creative portraiture.
Cherry Blossoms have a special place in my heart, my grandparents are farmers and every cherry season the entire family would help with the cherry picking, it was a gathering of families, with lots of barbecues and lot of hard work. These line illustrations are a part of my print heritage series.
RADEK STUDIO 