The Worshipful Company of Framework Knitters has recognised the work and talent of LCF's student Lian Liu, awarding her with £1,500 to help her complete her studies and push her career as a knitwear designer. Currently on her final year at BA (Hons) Fashion Textiles: Knit, Lian has been exploring the endless creative possibilities of knitwear during her time at LCF, and she believes this award will take her work to the next level. We caught up with her to celebrate the great news and know more about her projects and aspirations.
Hi Lian! Congratulations for your recent success at the Worshipful Company of Framework Knitters. How will this award help you in your career?
Thanks! Considering I'm currently on my final year, I will take a good use of the bursary to buy yarns and to fund the production of my final major project.
How did you get this opportunity? Tell us a bit more about this experience.
I heard about this opportunity through Carolyn Clewer, our course leader. I was very interested in applying and managed to pass several stages of the selection process, including an interview with two of their committee members.
Did you always know you wanted to study knitwear? What do you like about this field in particular?
I knew I wanted to do fashion design but I was aiming towards womenswear first. However, during my A-level studies I spontaneously developed a bigger interests towards textiles manipulation and 3D sculpture experimentation.
The charm of knitting is that you can create a million varied outcomes out of a single thread, basically creating your own world from scratch instead of being dependent on fabric selections from different shops.
I gradually became more and more passionate about this area of fashion design whilst studying the BA Fashion Textiles: Knit at LCF, because these excellent craftsmanships could be found nowhere apart from your hands, so that makes it pretty unique, inspiring and innovative.
What has been your favourite thing about studying at LCF?
I’d say it’s the amount of resources and opportunities, along with professional support towards our specialisms we get while studying at LCF.
What inspires you as a knitwear designer?
I could potentially get inspiration from anything. Any form, texture, colour, movement, performance, painting, sculpture, installation, landscape, weather or just ordinary lives. I bring in interpretations of all this visual information and turn it into knits through several development and experiment stages.
I’m more into 3D, conceptual, experimental and accidental forms, compared to spending a long time producing something precisely measured.
What piece of advice would you give to potential students who would like to study knitwear at LCF?
This is a great course, I think it covers every aspects of essential learning in fashion textiles and knitwear as an undergraduate course: technical skills, industry placement term, collaborations with fellow peers, academic reading and writing, the ability to form and deliver your own projects. Moreover, students get plenty of opportunities across UAL, such as career support and fairs, student union and industry competitions. Overall, I’d recommend this course for whoever is passionate for fashion textiles or knitwear design!
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