My first industry placement & working for Derek Lawlor

I always wanted to work in an area which links fashion with textiles. Creating something beautiful from inexpensive material has always fascinated me. During my placement period I was privileged to work with Fashion Knitwear designer Derek Lawlor as an intern. Derek was firstly featured in Central Saint Martin’s Autumn/Winter 2009 show with his Japanese body armour inspired knitwear. His collection caught eye of the press and was credited as “Fabulous Knitwear” by Sarah Mower on Vogue.com. He specializes in women’s wear and his extraordinary knitwear’s prices may vary from £300 to £800. His Prices matches with the market prices of designer knitwear. His Designs are available at Late Night Chameleon Café which is an appointment only store in Dalston.

  Derek Lawlor’s Autumn/Winter Collection 2009.

Images collected from Derek Lawlor’s Official Website.

Derek Lawlor’s Autumn/Winter Collection 2009.

Images collected from Derek Lawlor’s Official Website.

Derek’s studio is situated in Hoxton Street but due to ongoing refurbishment of the store, we  interns were working at his flat which made all of us feel homely and comfortable. Before I applied for the position of his intern I was amazed by his exceptional fabric and yarn manipulation style. Derek’s unique lace cord technique by using wax cord to create organic sculptural shapes on tight fitting cashmere dresses instantly caught my eyes. So although I am specializing in weave, I was positive that I can learn a lot from his work and we began working towards the LFW Autumn/Winter 2012. The show was sponsored by Sebastian Professional and took place in Paperdress Vintage- Shoreditch London.

 Derek Lawlor’s Autumn/Winter collection 2012.

                                                                   Images collected from Derek Lawlor’s Official Website.

  

Derek Lawlor’s Autumn/Winter collection 2012. Images collected from Derek Lawlor’s Official Website.

Derek Lawlor’s Autumn/Winter collection 2012.

Images collected from Derek Lawlor’s Official Website.

Some of his Designs demanded lots and lots of knitted tubes and ladders, so me being the only knitter amongst his interns, I used to get worn-out of knitting. Although all the hard work used to get paid of when I saw how he manipulated the tubes and ladders to form an extraordinary looking jacket or a dress. His way of weaving lace cords as threads and making fascinating loops were something that was able to change the dimension of his conventional knitwear. I have learned to use yarn and fabric differently to achieve various textures and shapes. I have also achieved knowledge on pattern cutting and machine sewing. By accompanying him during the fitting I understood how fittings work in the real fashion world. This placement has taught me to be patient and motivated which is required to survive in the industry. This journey was my first and essential experience in fashion industry. Although it was very hard work but it didn't put me off from my goal.