Katie Greenyer, Pentland Brands, Swimtech design

University of Lancashire

In a collaborative Masterclass with Pentland Brands, led by Creative Talent and Network Director Katie Greenyer, the UCLAN Art&Design and Fashion&Business Clubs were introduced to the creative design process of swimtech. The project brief focused on designing for Speedo, with a theme of Japanese culture and the Olympics.

The session began with Katie giving an introduction to Pentland Brands, Speedo and Japanese culture before starting the activity which was to design bathing suits in celebration of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. In a room covered in blank paper, the Club members were supplied with blue, cherry blossom, and black paints to make patterns all over the papered walls. In full coveralls, they experimented with mark-making, large brush strokes, and smaller details with complete freedom to create.

Towards the end of the session, the members were asked to pick their favourite painted sections, and were then given swimsuit stencils to cut out their designs. Ten of the designs, as voted for on the day of the Masterclass, will be printed and made into real swimsuits.

The Masterclass was a marvellously messy exploration of pattern making and gave the Club members the opportunity to see where pushing boundaries and experimentation can take you in the design process.