Anglia Ruskin University Live Brief Project 2026

Another successful collaboration between The Warner Textile Archive and the design students from Anglia Ruskin University on the Live Brief Project.

Their brief was to design a collection of prints for dresses and tote bags; inspired by textiles & designs from the Art Deco & Beyond exhibition hosted at Braintree Museum January – June 2026.

Three winners were chosen for their strong interpretations of the exhibition: Ace Caslin. Aleysha Nicolas and Monique Martins.

Ace Caslin describes their inspiration and process:

“My main source of inspiration was the features of bronze and iron architecture showcased in the museum, paired with prints from the Warner textile archive featuring symmetrical spirals, and my chosen colour palette of brown and blues.

I explored the idea of reinterpreting these spiral motifs with my own geometric designs, experimenting with prints and graphics, repetition and offset compositions.

I also used digital programs to help visualise my ideas by creating collages and sampling different layer effects.

With the Warner textile archive as my main source of inspiration, I was able to develop and refine 6 finalised prints that I am very pleased with.”