New Designers Part One

Yellow was also a key colour trend, matched with either grey or blue. Designers such as Leanne O’Connor and Stacey Etieve executed prime examples of these colour palettes, used in a commercial yet sophisticated way.

In short, the New Designers Part One show was an inspirational look at the upcoming trends in colour, texture, style, pattern and materials, from the country’s most accomplished design alumni. New Designers Part Two starts tomorrow, Wednesday, 2 July, and runs until Saturday, 5 July. For more information visit the website.

The soft chalky pastels mixed with highlights of bright teals and purples by Lucy Jones, a printed textiles and surface designer captured the trend perfectly.

The more subdued brights mixed with classic neutrals of Laura Melhuish-Sprague created a sophisticated yet delicately beautiful collection. Sophie Marie Stubbs' use of grey mixed with neon pastels created an eye-catching collection, with her use of colour blocking and subtle geometric patterns a true highlight of the show.

In terms of the colour trends on display at the show, bold and bright seemed to be best. Although in many cases tropical brights were matched with subdued neutrals for a more toned down approach.

Again, the chalky colours seen at Staffordshire University’s Show and Tell exhibition prevailed, with chalky navy blues, blush pinks and greys being used across the board – grey being the most popular neutral.

Structure was also the sole focus for surface pattern designer Amy Bartlett from the University of Leeds, whose work explores the relationships between two and three dimensions. Her focus on and exploration into different forms and materials, with a constant theme of geometry, was inspired by modernist architecture. The materials featured in Bartlett’s work included a combination of materials such as copper, cork and paper.

Another designer who was seen experimenting with different structures and materials is surface pattern designer Nina Harrell, who bases most of her work on creating and being inspired by manmade structures, paying particular attention to surface investigations and technical experiments using copper and brass.

Another clear trend seen at this year’s New Designers show is journey and travel. One such graduate designer inspired by this is Harriet Popham, an illustration and embroidery pattern designer. Her work is based on the different places that she has travelled to in her life, and culminates in precise and delicate drawings. She was inspired by porcelain for her layout composition, and her colour palette consisted of strong blue and white, reminiscent of traditional blue and white porcelain.

Structure also stood out as a trend at this year’s show, illustrated in the works of designer Jessie Watts, a surface pattern designer on the Fashion and Interiors course at Buckinghamshire New University. Watts’ work included a collection of embossed and pleated leather, inspired by new and innovative surface design techniques such as embossing, de-bossing and pleating. Through her work with these techniques, Watts was able to create a beautiful structured surface, while including intricate detailing to the leather.

Another designer exploring monoprinting was Caroline Hunter, whose work was previously seen at the Staffordshire University Show and Tell exhibition. Her project echoed that of Swallow in theme, inspired by botanical studies and in particular the butterfly hydrangea.

Hunter describes her work and style as free and loose, inspired by artists such as Andy Warhol who also experimented with techniques such as monoprinting and ink blotting in his work. Hunter incorporated this laid-back style in her approach to design, creating a beautifully screen printed fabric and cushion collection. She received the Sanderson Award at New Designers, for which she said, “It was a lovely feeling to be recognised for your work.”

One standout theme, which was spotted repeatedly at New Designers, is taking traditional techniques and exploring their relevance in the modern world, through combining them with digital techniques. In terms of the traditional techniques, monoprinting was a recurring trend.

Hannah Swallow, a textile designer from Bolton University explored this in a project inspired by botanical studies. The layering of plants, alongside experimenting with texture and mixed media formed her initial ideas. Her colour palette was simple yet sophisticated, in navy blue and white – inspired by Scandinavian colour trends. Her early and initial exploration culminated in a beautiful, delicate lampshade.

The annual instalment of the New Designers Part One exhibition might be over for another year, but Part Two is only just beginning (running from 2 to 5 July). Showcasing the work of over 3,000 of the country’s finest design graduates, the exhibitions are located at the Business Design Centre, London, which is transformed throughout the summer into a hub of innovation, emerging talent and trends.

Our design team has been taking note of the styles that are certain to filter through into the mainstream, and with so much talent on offer it is almost impossible to select just a few key highlights. Here is our pick of the best: