One to Watch - Alice Jones

Where did you study and what is the course title?

Manchester School of Art, Textiles in Practice

Name of your lecturer – course tutor?

Mark Beecroft & Rowanna Ewings

It was a wonderful sense of validation to have something I’m so passionate about acknowledged, especially as colour is at the heart of what I care about creatively.

Please tell us a little bit about the project that caught the judges attention.

For this project, I drew on my deep connection to the outdoors, which has always been a place of clarity and calm for me. Spending time outside gives me space to think, and I believe nature offers a kind of free therapy that I wanted my textiles work to reflect. We were asked to create using a Dulux palette from their Colour of the Year, The Rhythm of Blues, and I was immediately drawn to Mellow Flow. Its soft, grounding tones felt soothing and fresh, almost like a breath of crisp air. I gathered my own photographs, edited them to feel gentler, and applied the Mellow Flow palette, later expanding it with brighter blues and soft pinks. From these images, I developed collages and line drawings, pulling out motifs and visual rhythms from the landscape. I sublimated my prints onto neoprene, a technical fabric, and paired this with indigo-dyed natural gauze to create a balance between performance and softness. I then visualised the work on outerwear by technical brands such as Peak Performance and Goldwin, and within interior spaces for stores like On Running and Arc’teryx, imagining how these colours and textures could shape calming yet functional environments.

How important is colour in your work and why?

Colour is always the first thing I think about and the element that ultimately dictates my work. I’ve always been drawn to colour and the emotion it can evoke, the atmosphere it can create, and the way it can completely transform a visual narrative. It’s the starting point but also the anchor for everything I design.

What is your main source of inspiration?

Nature and the outdoors are my main sources of inspiration, the time I spend running, hiking, and walking creates an energy that feeds straight back into my work. Alongside this, my passion for the outdoors, paired with experience in high-end retail and a love of fashion, has helped me build a strong understanding of brands and their visual languages, which continually informs the way I design and create.

What makes you happiest/most fulfilled in your creative process?

I love the moment when everything starts coming together. Organizing, collating, arranging, and shaping the final visual outcome. There’s something incredibly satisfying about seeing all the elements click into place and creating something that just feels right.

Creative high point?

My creative high point was the four-week project I completed with Dulux. I loved the fast pace, it pushed me to work more loosely, instinctively, and playfully, which is when I create my best work. Having the outcome recognized by an industry expert felt like real validation of my abilities and has really spurred me on creatively.

Creative low point?

I don’t feel I’ve experienced a true creative low point yet. I definitely have ups and downs with my work, but they’ve always felt like natural parts of the creative process rather than major setbacks. I’m quite an optimist, and although the future can feel daunting at times, doing something I genuinely enjoy makes navigating those moments much easier.

Where do you want to be in 3 years time.

I’m not completely sure yet where my skills will be best applied, but I know I love making and feel confident I’m on the right path. Over time, I’m figuring out which parts of my process I enjoy most and where I can apply myself best. I’d love to combine my passions for running, hiking, and the outdoors with a creative role at a brand I genuinely connect with, ideally one that values sustainability. Above all, I’m prioritising enjoyment, if I love what I do, everything else naturally follows.

What is your favourite colour and why?

What a cruel question - I definitely can’t pick just one. I’ve always loved an earthy green, probably from all the time I’ve spent outdoors. Blue never gets old either, it’s a staple with so much variety, I’m constantly drawn to it. I also love a dusty pink, it complements other colours so well, and the more time passes, the more I find myself being drawn to pink.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alicejonestextiles