Daily Imprint - Feature
It was during her first trip to Bali, in the late 80s, when she came across ikat weavings and waxed batiks that Christina Mclean started her obsession with textiles. “Every trip I’ve ever been on in some way revolves around textiles,” she says. “Whether it’s seeing work exhibited, participating in workshops with master dyers or visiting indigenous makers, I need this to be part of my journey.” After graduating from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Arts in Visual Arts, and majoring in ceramics, Christina ran Chowk Ceramics for 12 years. But she was ready for something new, and wanted it to be in the field of textiles. After further postgraduate study, Christina started working as a textile designer, but after four years the company went into liquidation. This turned out to be a mixed blessing though as she was able to gain contract work for leading fashion houses, including Sass & Bide, Lisa Ho and Ginger & Smart, under her own name Christina McLean Design. Six years later and she has set up TRADE the MARK too, a range of bespoke homewares.
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