Victoria Whitlam & Suzanne Washington's Designs chosen for Richard III products

Congratulations to Made in Leicestershire’s Victoria Whitlam and Suzanne Washington whose designs have been chosen for products sold at the Richard III Visitor Centre.

Victoria  was born and has always lived in Leicester , she has described the opportunity to see her work in the Richard III Visitor Centre as “fantastic”. Victoria says “I approached the brief with the idea of creating a design which could be used on its own or in repeat. I incorporated imagery associated with Richard III , including the White Boar and White Rose along with his crown and the English flag. After my initial concept was accepted I mocked up some products to show how the design might look. I presented these to the panel at the interview stage and was delighted when my design was selected. It's great to see the finished products in the shop and I hope everyone enjoys them.”

Since gaining a First Class degree in Surface Decoration from DeMontfort University Victoria has been working as a textile artist. Using a mixture of recycled and vintage fabrics she works in hand stitched applique to create pictures, mainly of the English sesaide and Leicestershire countryside. Victoria has exhibited work regularly and also licensed images for use on a variety of products, from greeting cards to placemats, mugs and tea towels. http://www.victoriawhitlam.co.uk/

Suzanne Washington has been working as a print and surface pattern designer since graduating from LoughboroughUniversity in 2004 with a BA in Printed Textile Design. After completing an internship with a NYC print design studio she returned to her home in the Midlands where she worked as a print and pattern designer producing prints for the retail supply chain working for suppliers, screen printers and including over 2 years with a global high street retailer.

Suzanne now provides high end print and surface decoration designs for many high street retailers and brands, clients include Ness of Scotland and Harrods Knightsbridge. Suzanne’s artwork can be seen on a variety of products including apparel, home wares, accessories, gifts and greetings. Specializing in highly detailed decorative designs and retro inspired conversational prints inspired by vintage collections and eclectic treasures Suzanne’s work has a quirky narrative quality and a magical sense of nostalgia. She says “My aim is to create for the love of creating beautiful things and inspire a passion for print!”
http://www.suzyspellbound.com/

Find out more about the Richard III Visitor Centre and how to visit at http://kriii.com/