Kristen Doran is a textile designer, but more recently has begun a move into the fashion industry. It all began with a degree in Fashion Design from East Sydney Technical College and studying graphic design at Randwick TAFE. With 10 years of experience in the fashion and graphic design industry, and based in Sydney with a young family to keep her busy, she has managed to start a small business in textile design and fashion. Kristen took some time out of her hectic schedule to talk to Camarilla about how she began, the textile design process and of course her new line.

So how did this all start off?

Four years ago a friend gave me some vintage laces and fabrics and asked me to make some handbags. With one small child and another on the way, this seemed like a simple job that I could squeeze into life. After a while the fabrics ran out and I need to purchase more. Stock available at the time wasn’t quite right and this was the point where I considered designing my own prints. With a fashion and graphics background, it seemed like a perfect combination of the two.

I borrowed some silk screens from a friend and started printing my own fabrics. This was messy and time consuming and just not my thing! It’s good to know when to give up sometimes. A local Sydney friend owns his own screen printing business, so I approached him about the costs involved. That was only a year ago. I am still getting Darren to print my designs and learning all the time about limitations and basically what works and what doesn’t. It’s all about trial and error, but sometimes that’s the best way to learn.

Can you tell me about the textile design process? Just how long does it take?

For me the process of designing takes a long time. I like to think things through in my head for quite sometime and let my surroundings influence me. Having said that, once I have the idea set in my mind it may only take an hour or two to get in done in the computer. (I also work freelance for a manufacturer and the timeframe there is a totally different story! From beginning to end a print needs to be designed in just a few hours. No luxury of thinking over things for weeks there.)

I like to sketch thumbnail sized designs for a while and then hop onto Illustrator and Photoshop and play around. The first botanical design I produced was from sitting in my front garden with my 3 year old and just sketching my flowers, plants and weeds. My design called Feathers was influenced from the Art Nouveau period and I am currently doing a lot of research into that era of art.

Where does your inspiration come from?

I love the art nouveau period. LOVE IT! So I’m influenced by all the beautiful books I can get my hands on. I also love the nature that surrounds me.

What about trends in textile prints? Do they influence you?

I try so hard not to be influenced by trends. But I think that’s impossible. You see a colour combination on someone’s dress and that might just seep into you brain and come out in a design that you think is all your own doing! I like to look at what other textile designers are doing in Australia and make sure what I do is different. We have a small market here and you need to have a different approach.