Hi, my name is Su Kyoung An and I'm a professor of the Department of Fashion, Interior Design, & Merchandising at Central Michigan University, USA. I'm here at University of the Arts London (UAL) on the experimental fashion knitwear course for three-weeks thanks to the International Textile and Apparel Association (ITAA) Award.
What are your thoughts on your course?
On my course I really got to learn through making. The course is intensive and by the end of the three weeks you are expected to have completed a garment. I went in with little knowledge of knitwear techniques and was able to really learn from the basics to a having created a full final project.
I really enjoyed being here and am so happy with my final design. It’s made of 100% recycled materials, such as denim and three sweaters I got from different charity shops. I repurposed the materials and took the pieces apart to create usable yarn. I love what I was able to create in such a short time and am looking forward to bringing my experience back with me to my students.
What was it like studying in London?
London is so different from Michigan, there is just a vibe here. The people are more open minded, more adventurous about fashion, lifestyle, creativity and so much more. It is so exciting to be here and being a student at UAL feels like being in the centre of it all. The last 3-weeks have been life changing! Such a great experience! It was a totally different experience that what I knew, and I learnt a lot of new techniques as well as a new creative thinking way. We are sometimes trying to hard to fit into a box, but at UAL they really push you to start your project thinking way outside of the box. And so, they ideas flow until you have made something so unique you didn’t think it would be possible. It’s truly amazing.
