Carmen Rion textiles course West Dean College of Arts and Conservation

Carmen Rion

Carmen Rion is a researcher and fashion designer, awarded for her pioneering role in the rescue of traditional Mexican textiles and their integration into contemporary fashion, in Mexico and around the world.

Her self-named brand Carmen Rion celebrates 20 years in 2018. Carmen is currently working on her collections of men's fashion, with an emphasis on traditional guayabera's, as well as women's and bridal haute couture, and her ready-to-wear line.

Carmen studied graphic and textile design at Universidad Iberoamericana Mexico DF and Mastered in textile and graphic design at Allgemeinekunstgewerbeschulle, Basel, Switzerland. Carmen has had her own studio since 1985, and has worked for many different projects as well as publishing a range of books.

Describe your approach to teaching:

I like to make personal approaches, each of my students have their own style and experience and I´ll try to encourage this and support it with my own experience and knowledge. My approach is be very open and to try to help all of you to develop your own creativity, and the skills for it.

What inspires your own work?

Most of the time I´m inspired by fabrics, all fabrics have the talent to open my creativity. Once I touch and start to explore it, then I start to know which way I should go. Also many things that I see, I read or I hear that are not clear but work inside me, and suddenly come out in the middle of nowhere!

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