This week we were delighted to open our doors to a group of students under the leadership of Elisa Palomino of Central St. Martin’s and Malene Kristiansen from The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, Textile & Fashion.
First the group was shown our factory in which all of our many wonderful products get made. This included the printing process, as well as the industrial printing presses and 3D printing tools we use at Contrado to achieve vibrant colours and durable gear.
Students were then given the chance to examine our fabrics up close and see the effects of sublimation printing ‘in the flesh’, as well as being gifted free Swatch Packs with over 60 samples to learn about materials with. They were shown the sewing room where handmade products are cut, stitched and sewn together before being led to the shipping department from where we post our products worldwide to a global market.
In the offices, students were given a basic introduction to the Bags of Love website where they can design their own fabrics and clothing. We also gave them a sneak peak of the forthcoming Designer Platform, our major project for 2015 which we hope will have a major impact on the industry and will empower aspiring designers like the students to create their own brand names one day!
If you teach at a fashion college or are part of a designing community, feel free to contact us and enquire about guided tours. Our doors are always open to likeminded people and we hope together we can create something so much more than just a service for hire.