Artist

Alison Willoughby

Born

1977 in Truro Cornwall

Region

Arts Council England London

Work Made

Hand constructed skirts

Materials Used

Cotton, wool, silk, linen, taffeta, chiffon and print pigments

Methods Used

Printing, embroidery, cutwork

Alison Willoughby is a textile artist who designs and constructs individual hand made skirts. Her interest in skirts grew from researching the kilt and disrupting the tradition of the kilt how the kilt is constructed and how it is used in today's society. Her research was transferred into skirts and the idea of a skirt as a "canvas" for her textile knowledge and designs - with no darts just flat simple and plain. Alison combines new and salvaged materials with a number of techniques: print hand and machine embroidery fabric manipulation and appliqué. She is constantly collecting elements which are woven and sculpted in to her garments. Inspiration is taken from external locations and inner city environments. Through photography Alison captures the disintegration of layered fly posters. The mixture and juxtaposition of the printed image placement colour texture and shape that occur through the slow build up and break down of these surfaces are of particular interest to her. Alison has had her work selected by The Pure Living in Selfridges. Labour of Love Dialogue -between art and fashion Mint and Johnny Moke in London and Ysh in Tokyo have all sold her work. She recently completed solo shows in the British Council's window gallery in Prague and Urban Outfitters in London and Glasgow. Alison has been commissioned by Liberty and the Arts Council of England has designed for Oilily ZPM Susan Cianciolo Julian Roberts and Tait and Style Knitwear in Orkney and regularly undertakes private commissions.