Meet our intern Maisie!

Me frolicking in the cold Scottish sun in Jo-AMI’s black crochet bralet and striped gilet, with the classic Tilly tote.

Hello all! I’m Maisie Farrer (@mef.tex) and I graduated from DJCAD in 2020 with a degree in Textile Design and since then have been building a portfolio of work and teaching myself to construct garments. Before even arriving at DJCAD I knew exactly what I wanted to study and had my eyes on the prize from the get-go. I spent four lovely and stressful years developing my unique design aesthetic, specialising in screen-print and the dye process. I discovered my main inspirations are drawn from playing with the unconventional and constantly experimenting with contrast and balance, specifically in a monochromatic or limited palette. My need to communicate symbolism through design is what drives a lot of the meaning behind my work, whether it’s a colour, the silhouette, or specific markings, it always has a reason for being there. One thing I have taken away from the Textile department is this need to touch and feel absolutely everything. I find the tactility of materials so interesting and integral to not only the way I work and create designs but the clothes I buy for my own wardrobe. My next goal is to get myself onto a Fashion Masters course, where I would be able to expand the knowledge and techniques I have now and continue to grow and improve as a designer and maker. I fully believe that you can never stop learning! All you can do is just get better and better and better.

Jo-AMI is such an inspiring fashion label to be a part of and I’m so grateful to be involved. I met Jolene in my final year of study while she was beginning to materialise her brand and have watched Jo-AMI evolve from chunky winter hats into a wide-range of sophisticated and sustainable knitwear. Over time the knits started to hone a more specific colour palette of creams and dark greys, adding pops of pastels with bold lilac, mustard yellow and strong greens. This is something I love about the brand as I subconsciously link these shades to Jo-AMI, and I think it highlights the luxurious high-end quality of these garments as well as the playfulness behind the label. My favourite piece would’ve easily been one of the gilets if it wasn’t for the recent release of those beautiful Jo-AMI hoodies. I’m absolutely in love with the exposed seams and the two-tone yarn Jolene uses, it just adds even more texture to an already exciting piece. I’ve recently bought myself a charcoal one and I wear it EVERYWHERE, I can’t wait to start layering it - bring on winter.

A piece of knitwear that has a lot of sentimental value to me is this stunning Fila knitted jumper I managed to find in Amsterdam. I remember it so well because, as usual, I had completely misread the weather and was walking through the streets of Amsterdam absolutely freezing – clearly growing up in Scotland has taught me nothing. I managed to drag my friends to a flea market I had been desperate to visit and ended up spending a good hour raking through piles of clothes trying to find something substantial enough to keep me warm for the rest of the day. Like a beaming beacon of hope, my textile eye spotted a beige knitted ribbed sleeve with a texture I just couldn’t resist and when I pulled it out, I knew that all the rummaging had been worthwhile. The beauty cost me a bargain of 10 euros and I have worn it, without fail, almost every week in the colder months. I always catch myself feeling the knit between my fingers whenever I’m in it because there’s something so pleasing about the weight of the yarn. Hands down my favourite aspects of the jumper is the swap from knit to pearl on the thick ribbed sleeves and the Fila logo, the large F square in the centre is in the inverse knit with the pearl stitch making the logo look embossed from the rest of the jumper. It’s such a simple aspect but the difference in the shape of the knit makes the ribs stand out that much more, and my monochromatic heart fell in love with this one-tone textured piece. It’s been a year since I found it, and I don’t think my love for it has ever or will ever diminish.