Contact Report with Jenny Rivers

Images available at http://www.paperandcloth.net

Jenny Rivers runs her own studio called Paper and Cloth in Northampton, after working as a buyer for Marks and Spencer for ten years her love of graphics and colour made her decide she wanted to set up her own studio.
Paper and Cloth employ freelancers, designers who have the creative ability to draw and use computer technology ie, photoshop and illustrator. Paper and Cloth take on designers under their own name and between them they hope to produce twenty designs per day and hope to sell 30-40% of them. Paper and cloth are always looking for something new, pushing different styles of design elements like paisley, folk and flora, being open to designs of fashion interior and stationary and understanding surface pattern, balance layout and colour.

Jenny Expressed the importance of trend and colour for future seasons, and being aware of what is going on around us for example, when the recession hit us last year colours of blue, purple and indigo were predicted to give a mood of calmness to balance the stress of what was happening.



Most of Paper and Cloth designers work digitally and a few hand draw their work then scan their drawings into computer technology so they can manipulate them, a colour pallet, range plan and a total understanding of trends is important to have a working understanding.



Jenny Rivers says "Clients are always looking for something new and edgy so don't be afraid to try new ideas, don't be the same as everybody else". Designs at Paper and Cloth sell for around £375 and freelancers take 60% freelancers also have a daily wage of one hundred pounds a day.



Having a discussion with Jenny about my own work her feedback was critical, honest and some really positive.

Jenny's views of my work were,



- "If samples are in the form of garments keep them trendy,



-Look at trends constantly for ideas,



-Samples need to stand out and be striking,



-Colour pallet must be in trend, maybe do two colourways to suit different skin tones.



-Never rush work question everything and choose the best elements and develop them with shape colour trend, the next directcional thing,



-Try and be versatile, if designing textiles by hand is what you like best that's fine but be open to computer applications so you have more experience to sell your designs.

After discussing my work with Jenny I felt like I had some good work which is individual, but some of my work wasn't that great and Jenny could tell that my patience lacks a little when it comes to planning. Jenny mentioned not to rush anything and to concentrate on the beautiful elements that I had created. I learned a lot from her criticism and I agreed with what Jenny said about the digital side of design being important to expand my work.