I am Nathalie Nijk, a Dutch textile designer located in Glasgow, with a specialism in printed textiles. Having left a degree in illustration to pursue printed textiles, my illustrative approach is very characteristic of my work. Hand drawing/painting lies at the heart of my practice – every element in my designs is always created by hand, with keen eye for detail. During my masters education, I have gained the skills necessary to turn my print designs into thoughtful fashion pieces, in which print and silhouette communicate and work together to illustrate a concept.

My masters collection, ‘There’s Something In the Water’, was inspired by the incredible depths of our oceans. It seems absurd there is more knowledge of the moon than the depths of our own planet, yet no time is wasted destroying our ocean’s ecosystems. But what is all creeping there in the depths…? This fashion collection aims to raise awareness to this topic by depicting the unique beauty of these unknown environments.

Researching methodologies for my project included scientific resources such as books and documentaries. Utilising this material, a range of deep-sea creatures was hand painted with acrylics onto black card, A2 or A3-size. The individual artworks were then digitally placed into intricate textile designs for digital fabric printing. Fabric choices include natural fibres only, using silks and viscose. The silhouette of the garments revolves around inclusivity and adjustability – there are many ways in which the garments of this collection can be worn, due to the use of reversible prints and adjustable elastic. This means every piece can create many different looks, functioning as a true wardrobe investment. Another key element of this fashion collection is the use of double layered interactive print, created by placing printed silk organza, a sheer fabric, over the top of printed viscose. This makes the two prints interact, meaning you can discover something new each time when looking at these garments.