Fresh fabrics

Cape Town textile designer Sera Holland is up next in our Fresh Talent series. We love how she has used her background in graphic design, coupled with the new technology of digital textile printing to create intricate and bold motifs.

Who are you?

Sera Holland, graphic and textile designer.

What schools have you gone to?

An all-boys school in PE called St Georges Prep, which went coed (I was the first girl there), and then St Cyps in Cape Town.

What was your favourite subject in high school?

Sadly it was between art and chemistry.

What did you want to be when you were a kid? 

A metermaid – ha ha.

What do you do now?

I design bespoke fabrics and make them into handmade products. I also freelance design (both graphic and textile) and dabble in some (pretty basic) furniture upcycling. I’ll do anything that allows me to be creative and gets me excited.

How did that happen?

After 10 years in graphics I got bored and signed up for a fabric printing-by-hand course. I designed a fabric print (my origami birds design), which I made by hand (cutting shapes from transparency with a scalpel) and didn’t like the way it turned out so messy, so the perfectionist in me made me start investigating how to do it properly. The introduction of digital printing on textiles allowed me to move pretty easily from graphics into textiles.

What are some of your biggest accomplishments as a designer?

I am hoping they are still yet to come! Otherwise, just being able to survive month to month financially doing what I love is the biggest accomplishment for me.

How did that come about?

Hard work, long hours, stamina and drive.

Do you have a design philosophy? 

Be different, try anything and don’t give up.

What would you decree if you were appointed Minister of Design in the national government? 

Firstly I would get someone to start a new digital textile printing company and make it awesome and affordable! And then I would find something less selfish and more helpful and necessary to work on… :)

Advice for aspiring designers? 

Do it! Don’t let production nightmares or other people convince you otherwise – always keep an open mind and find a way to make your ideas happen. 

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More of VISI’s hot design talents featured at www.visi.co.za/fresh