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Siobhán Curtis

National College of Art and Design

BA (HONS) Fine Art International: Department of Applied Materials: Textiles, Art & Artefact

Haute Couture, Bags, Design

Textile artist or textile designer? Both. My work combines unorthodox methods of art and avant-garde design; mixing traditional and modern concepts. The subject matter of nature, human emotion and personal reflections are displayed through a variety of practices, techniques and processes. I create structures in the form of sculptural wearables and haute-couture. Depicting unconventional fashion; welded and hand-sewn pieces in geometrical forms display movement and fluidity. My work ranges from the digital world to the physical; using one to benefit the other. With an immense interest and passion for leather craft, my work explores the functionality, practicality and precision of bag design, while also exploring the materiality of leather, in ways that can convey a concept and narrative. I have great aspirations to create my own luxury leather brand. I am constantly expanding my knowledge and testing the limits of leather craft design, so that I can pursue a successful, prosperous and rewarding career in the fashion and leather industry. Vision for fashion’s future: Circular economy is my vision for fashion in the future. Fast fashion makes up 4-8% of Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions, which contribute to climate change. On average, 60% of clothing items are made from synthetic fibres which are made using petrochemicals from the oil industry. Leather is a by-product of the meat and dairy industry. Not only does the production and use of leather save around 7.3 million tonnes from global landfill every year but also as a natural product, leather will biodegrade in a typical landfill in 10-50 years, depending on the type of leather. A typical Polyvinyl Chloride plastic material takes 500+ years to break down in the same environment. This is why I’ve made the progressive decision to work with leather in my practice. Not only is leather a strong, flexible and durable material but is more eco-friendly for our environment compared to other textiles. Work experience & brief education history: First-class honour degree in BA (HONS) Fine Art International: Department of Applied Materials: Textiles, Art & Artefact from the National College of Art and Design, Dublin. Completed one year of international study in Fashion and Textile Design; specialising in leather accessory design, in Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design, Budapest. Completed a 6-month internship at Dublin Leather Store and George Horn Gloves, along with various other commissions, contracts and exhibitions.


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Fight or Flight

Category: Apparel

Competitions: International

“Fight or Flight” is a response to two questions: What does stress look like? What does stress feel like? To some, it may be a passing occurrence, but for others, it can be deep and constant; a perpetual sensation. Inspired by personal experience and the Rorschach test, a psychological projective test for identifying a person's state of mind, personality characteristics and emotional functioning, analyzed using psychological interpretation and complex algorithms, this internal emotion is morphed into an external sculpture curving to and from the body and skin it was once concealed within. Emphasis on the materiality of leather is used in my work to convey a concept and narrative of induced emotions, rather than being used for utilitarian products. Distressing processes and techniques are used on the leather to portray the narrative of intensity, pressure and tension experienced within and on the body while undergoing this emotion. The material depicts the concept of both the emotional and physical reactions caused by ‘stress’. But now I want to ask the question; Why do we stress? In today's society with environmental global issues such as the climate crisis, pollution, waste disposal, global warming, the greenhouse effect, loss of biodiversity and deforestation are just to name a few of the reasons for someone living on this Earth to stress. We all experience this. The fashion industry is responsible for 4-8% of Global greenhouse gas emissions, which contribute to the climate crisis. Fast fashion and consumerism have become daily aspects of people's lives, and often people aren’t aware of the damage it causes. Fight or Flight aims to bring light to this crisis. Are you going to fight this environmental crisis or fly from it? Not only do I consciously use leather in my work due to it being strong, flexible and durable, but it is environmentally more eco-friendly than synthetics, which are made using petrochemicals from the oil industry (which now make up 60% of our clothing). Leather is a natural by-product of the dairy and meat industries and is currently the best way to up-cycle hides and skins, which saves around 7.3 million tonnes from global landfill every year. As a natural product, leather will biodegrade in a typical landfill in 10-50 years (depending on the type of leather) whereas a typical synthetic plastic material takes 500+ years to break down in the same environment. All leather used in my work is up-cycled from scrap offcuts from local upholstery companies. Leather that was to be discarded. The material used was not only more eco-friendly but recycled and repurposed too. Keeping in mind the lifespan of the work, each skewer (wing) is detachable and can be reconstructed into a new sculptural garment as many times as desired. Just like the environment and the fashion industry, it changes in perpetual motion, adapting and forming to suit its current situation. The second material used in my work is repurposed metal. A mechanism, where all metal components are also detectable and adjustable, just like the leather. Unconventional fashion and avant-garde experimental techniques play a large role in my designs. The mechanism supports the leather, just as humans have the ability to support the environment. Consequently, this wearable artwork, eco-friendly garment, innovative apparel can be taken apart, reconstructed, worn and performed in, admired and exhibited. Both the leather and metal it is fabricated from can stand the test of time, both durable and resistant. To the multimillion fashion world of haute-couture, this piece aims to prove that this industry can also continue in a more sustainable and environmentally-friendly approach to design. To the everyday consumer, to rethink fast fashion and the materials we chose to buy. To you, are you going to continue to let the global climate crisis and everything that enhances it propel stress onto you and to our planet or are you going to fight for change?

In association with Arts Thread

Working with our partners at Arts Thread to develop lifelong learning and career opportunities for students of fashion and design. Our partnership provides the opportunity to compete on a world stage, participate in industry led workshops, set up an outstanding portfolio and gain access to the resources that will kickstart careers in fashion and design.