How did you first get into textile design?

 I first got into textiles at high school during my design technology lessons, I was drawn towards fabric texture and surface as they gave me a lot to explore creatively. Up until this point I had been focused on drawing and painting, through textiles I began learning about fabric manipulation, how you could distort and fold it to create patterned textures. I then decided to study textile design at university, and later went on to specialize in hand embroidery.

Why is sustainability within fashion something we should all care about?

Fashion is worlds third-largest polluter after fuel and agriculture, I think that fact shocks people. Clothing is made up of different components, such as pockets and zips which mean they are difficult to recycle. When disposed of, clothing and textile waste often go straight to landfill or get exported to countries in the global south. In some ways, the value of clothing has been lost in the digital world today, where fast fashion and social media come hand in hand to perpetuate single-use ‘wear-it-once’ culture. There are too many people mindlessly buying clothes for a picture, not enough of us care about where our clothes end up.

The most effective way to support sustainable fashion is to avoid buying newly produced clothing, this is because second-hand and vintage fashion requires no new energy for production and is zero waste. That’s why I encourage people to buy second-hand, whilst putting forward ideas for how to appreciate what we have in our wardrobes. By repairing, altering and refreshing clothes you already own, you are prolonging the lifespan of the item and ultimately saving them from landfill.

Talk to us about your own personal textile designs and what inspires them?

I first began patchworking denim in 2018 after my trip to China – having taken part in a 3-month summer project based in Shanghai. By illustrating portraits onto denim patches I found a contemporary style that I was excited by and could develop further. One piece that best represents this artistic style would be my most recent pair of up-cycled denim jeans; an ongoing work, the bottoms incorporate my signature embroidered patchwork faces. The jeans can be distinguished by their green and pink embroidery thread and detailed glass bead embellishments.

You recently released a short documentary filmed titled ‘Moving to Make It’. How did this opportunity come about?

 I came across the documentary call-out online under an opportunities board round-up. I have never seriously thought about a career in film before or considered myself to be a film maker. I had been writing an art proposal for another call-out, where I’d talked about wanting to create a family-focused project of my Cape Verde and Welsh heritage (I was shortlisted for this but didn’t make the final projects to be commissioned). I used parts of this as a structure to my documentary proposal, most my ideas that are unsuccessful I keep and try to develop for other opportunities – in this case the rejection worked out for the best.

This has been an eye-opening experience into the world of filmmaking and television; I am keen to continue following my love for storytelling, now the film has been broadcast. Through this experience I have found a new confidence in myself and my ideas, becoming more assertive with my opinions and decision making. This has also led me to new opportunities in prop, set design and costume – with some exciting projects coming up.

What inspired the theme of this documentary?

 The conversations I was having with my creative friends last year really inspired the idea for the documentary. Many of them echoing the same feelings of a desire to leave at some and how finding a new love for the city had inspired them to stay. As a textile designer I had always set my sights on cities more renown for fashion such as London, believing it could provide me with better opportunities and connections. Lockdowns of 2020 had forced me to take better notice of the creative scene in Cardiff, encouraging me to reach out and network amongst other Welsh creatives. Allowing myself to fall in love with the city again as an adult I now find myself appreciating the Cardiff more than ever, and I am no longer seeking to leave.

Tell us a bit about directing this documentary, and how you formulated your artistic vision?

 As the producer of the film, my main responsibilities had included leading the creative direction and story’s narrative. Originally, I hadn’t envisioned presenting the documentary myself, I really just wanted to talk to Welsh creatives and hear their experiences here in Cardiff/South Wales. In my documentary proposal, I also included a little background on myself – explaining that I come from a family of creatives who have all made careers for themselves in Wales. When it came to the interview, I spent most my time talking about my grandfather and how I myself was considering leaving Cardiff. Developing the narrative, we focused on my own story and used it as a starting point for the questions we asked the other contributors.

 Visually, I wanted to make Cardiff look bright and artsy! I had been inspired by Liana Stewart’s documentary ‘Black and Welsh’ at the time, I loved how it had been stylized with its colours. As a team, we felt that each location should have some connection to the contributor/theme of the interview, for example, our interview with musician Reuel Elijah was held at Silk Crayon Studios. We also wanted some contrast between the clear, airiness of the interview headshots at Chapter and the darker, more enclosed shots at the studio – whilst filming at Jacobs Antique Market brought colour.

With strict Covid guidelines, planning locations had been difficult (we shot just a few days before the Firebreak lockdown in December, with our final day of filming cancelled). For the final day of filming, we had planned to use Butetown Community Centre for a short family scene where I would have talked about my decision to stay in Cardiff.

What message did you want to put across through this short film?

 Whilst continuing the conversation around the documentaries theme and topics, I want the film to inspire other creatives to take the same or similar opportunities. I hope viewers feel uplifted and encouraged to support the arts in Wales – especially artists from marginalized communities. I also want young artists to see it and feel as if they too can follow a career in the creative industries in Wales.

 What advice do you have for other young artists struggling to decide where they need to be to make art?

 Don’t let location restrict you! With the Internet connecting us worldwide, you can be anywhere. Take advantage of social media and network with those in your industry locally, and further afield. I got some great advice from Re-work (book David Heinemeier Hansson) that talked about some of the barriers we feel as artists/entrepreneurs – which basically said the perfect time never comes, you will always feel too young, too broke or too far away to materialize your biggest imaginations. Your location or lack of art space can’t be an excuse not to create, there’s always a way around it. If you don’t have the luxury of a creative space, I would recommend looking into communal art spaces, artist residencies or even just finding a place outside.

 Limited experience or resources can be a good thing – it may allow you to think outside the box, find alternative solutions to building your brand or force you to take a new approach. Whilst you’re starting off, there are few people watching your development as an artist/business. This is the time to make mistakes and experiment creatively!