Rachel Crooks, a 3rd year Textile design student specializing in weave at Loughborough University has been volunteering in the Archive recently. She has been cleaning the Guard Books containing woven designs from the late 19th Century through to the mid 20th Century. This has allowed her to absorb the stunning menswear woven designs page by page and get a real feel for a commercial menswear design as sold to the likes of Burberry.
Rachel commented; “The content of the guard books has been overwhelming and a truly valuable insight into the fashionable fabrics of the past. I have also found it very interesting how although the styles and designs of many of the fabrics draw comparisons on what is still present today, there are some clear changes in colour preference, notably a rusty brown colour which has featured in many of the guard books of the 1920s. The guard books are a true inspiration for anyone who has a passion for textiles.” Rachel has been a great help starting the process of making the 100 or so Guard books accessible again for people to look at and gain inspiration from.
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