Student success
Textile graduates set up their own company
One of Massey and Rogers designs
Barbara Massey and Helen Rogers are two BA (Hons) Textile Design graduates who set up a textile design company, "Massey and Rogers" at the University-owned Banks' Mill Studios.
They took inspiration for their projects from objects in Derby's museum collections. These included; The Silk Mill museum gates, a map of Derby, historical textiles and a poem by Derby resident Erasmus Darwin calling for the abolition of slavery. The collections were all dating from the late 1700s.
From this, two key pieces were created: a woven basket using the text of the poem and a dress made by Ida, the design of which combined the gates and map.
Helen commented "We've benefited from being here - we've gained work from galleries and people who have visited have come back offering us exhibition space and are stocking our work."
From their base in Bank's Mill, Massey and Rogers offer a range of products such as cushions, lampshades and baskets. They combine traditional weaving and screen or digitally printed fabrics, for their Urban Garden and Vintage Rave collections.
Banks' Mill helps develop new businesses in the creative industries, by letting low cost studios and workspaces to fine artists, applied artists and designers or makers, and giving them business support.
You can see their work at www.masseyandrogers.co.uk
Take a look at what some of our other graduates have gone on to do:
- Pollyanna Cotton: Senior Design Director for Polo Ralph Lauren, New York.
- Laura Freeman: Designer Director for Design Works International, Print Studio, New York.
- Kate Franklin: Design Editor of Viewpoint and Head of Trends at The Future Laboratory.
- Ellie Cosgrove: Knitwear Designer and Technical Specifier, George, Asda.
- Lucy Sawyer: Knitwear Designer for Banana Republic, New York.
- Tara Lloyd-Edwards: Fabric Development Manager, Next Menswear.
- Rosie Elcock: Knitwear Designer, Next Plc.
- Sarah Sherry: Design Manager, Stephen Walters Ltd, Silk Weavers.
- Carol Atkinson: Designer for Studio Sabbatini, Senigallia, Italy.
- Sara Hill: Design Director for De Montford Fine Art Prints.
- Donna Payne: Proprietor of Zinc Studio, London.
- Clare Starke: Cordeaux Studio.
- Alison Brooks: Hallmark Cards.
- Karen Morgan: Tiger Prints, Card Design Studio, London.
- Sarah Heath: Designers for Trimmings by Design Ltd.
