Why Brick Lane?

The final graduate collection has come around already and I can tell you that it is a tough course to master. Fourth year is definitely different to any other year I have had at university, with constant creation, analysis and referencing happening all of the time and at the same high level. 

So, this leads me too introducing my project focus for this year. Brick Lane. My lecturers keep asking me why Brick Lane? And my response is usually, “urm I don’t really know.” Not really the best start to my final collection.

What I really mean to say is “why not?” Brick Lane has been a place of refuge and integration for many different cultures and sects. The lane has become a place where different cultures can contribute parts of their identity to create a place that is totally unique and different to anywhere else in the world. 

It is just a place where cultures unite and that excites me. Why does it excite me? Growing up in North West London, this mixture of cultures has been everywhere I look. From the traditional Indian wear shops in Wembley to the Jewish community in Pinner, my upbringing has been unassumingly multicultural. Being in a place with a combination of culture gives me inspiration for colour, pattern and texture, but also makes me feel comfortable in my surroundings.  

Alongside this, from being from an Indian family who have immigrated over in the 1960s, integration was key to our success here. Brick Lane is a clear example of where integration has been successful, a place where I feel comfortable within my culture and my ambitions as a designer. 

I guess this is the reason of why Brick Lane is so important to me and a place I think that is worthy of inspiration for my graduate project.