Peterlee designer among Northern School of Art textile design graduates ‘with ideas to heal the planet’

Laura is one of two textile design graduates from The Northern School of Art invited to Green Grads, an innovative platform in Manchester for recent UK graduates “with ideas to heal the planet”.

Laura, and Newcastle-based Jaime Cura, who both graduated this summer from the school's BA (Hons) textiles and surface design course, will be banging the drum for the environment using design and craft in the Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair at Manchester Victoria Baths next month.

Laura was delighted with her invitation; “I was totally over the moon” said the promising County Durham designer.

“Sustainability and natural inspiration are at the core of my work, so it was absolutely wonderful for this to be recognised by Green Grads.

“I’m very grateful for the opportunity.

“I am planning to show linocut prints alongside the original blocks, drawings, and photography to highlight the process and raw inspiration, telling the story of my work, as well as greetings cards, and cushions, which display the hand-painted aspect of my work.”

Founded in 2021 by multi-award-winning design journalist Barbara Chandler, Green Grads is now in its fourth year and promotes around 200 graduates, through shows at major venues, intimate salons, Instagram, a website and a YouTube channel.

The event is financed by contributions from a growing cooperative of sustainably-focused British brands, meaning graduates exhibit free of charge.

All Green Grads are personally selected after extensive trawls of degree shows, including the annual London showcase of the UK’s most innovative emerging graduate design talent, New Designers.

Barbara said: "Welcome to the The Wild North where feisty Laura Wigham fills a brimming portfolio with punchy patterns inspired by ‘wild uninhabited places’ such as the Scottish Highlands and Borders and Northumberland – ‘ancient, dramatic and remote’.

"She has the film photography to prove it, and then the textiles and prints laced with folklore and executed in laborious lino-cutting and hand-painting.

“This free spirit is already up and running selling at markets, in shops and online and we are looking forward to welcoming her into Green Grads."

Of Jaime, Barbara said: “Her jackets are wearable art and also a plea for slow fashion - 'hit the pause button.' And a scream against fast fashion."

Jaime and Laura are currently working on several projects and collaborating on a new range combining Laura’s prints with Jamie’s fabrics to create another new range of products.

Laura’s Instagram is at @laurawigham.design while Jaime is at @cura.jl.