A MAGAZINE Guest Editor Professor Paul Anderson Dean, School of Design A MAGAZINE Contributing Editors Briony McArdle-Oakley Guest Editor: Professor Paul Anderson Head of Alumni & Supporter Dean, School of Design Engagement Peter Piatkowski I am both delighted and honoured to be able to Alumni Relations Manager address you, my fellow Royal College of Art alumni, Jessie Bond Content Editor as Guest Editor of our magazine – and to introduce Sarah Macdonald myself as Dean of the School of Design. Publishing Manager Hannah Williams The College has changed immeasurably since I joined Assistant Content Producer as an Industrial Design student in October 1984, Design a newcomer to London. I met a wide range of students Jörg Schwertfeger from every corner of the globe, all of whom went on to Cover Artwork Le Gun make varied and valuable contributions to the world See page 30–31 for bios of all our of design. The MA was in many respects a very relaxed contributing alumni writers, illustrators affair, with our tutors visiting occasionally and us and photographers. students frequenting the Art Bar on a regular basis – We’d also like to thank our Alumni Council: some things never change! Sir David Adjaye OBE (MA Architecture, 1993) I am passionate about multiple aspects of design Frank H Auerbach and am happy to see so many of them represented here – (ARCA Diploma Class I Painting, 1955) Christopher Bailey MBE celebrating innovation that comes through a (MA Fashion Womenswear, 1994) David Constantine MBE commitment to diversity is a particular highlight. (MDes Computer Related Design, 1990) Sir James Dyson CBE, OM Another element close to my heart is digital design – (MDes Furniture, 1971) I founded Glasgow School of Art’s Digital Design Studio Tracey Emin CBE Television Design that gave basic training (MA Painting, 1989) in 1997 – so I’m extremely enthusiastic about the new in film-making to a select few students. Lady Hamlyn There was no department as such, only (DesRCA Diploma Fashion, 1955) approach to robotics here at the RCA. a Bolex clockwork camera, an instruction Thomas Heatherwick CBE COMING (MA Furniture, 1994) The way that we approach design has changed book and a light meter. The head of David Hockney OM CH RA dramatically over the last two decades: we no longer the course was George Haslam, a talented (ARCA Diploma Class I Painting, 1962) television designer, who was our tutor, Alison Jackson limit the discipline to purely object-oriented activities. FULL CIRCLE (MA Photography, 1999) adviser and supporter. Asif Kapadia STEM to STEAM is a growing agenda, and system, Image: Boy and Bicycle (film still), I presented my script for a short film (MA Film & Television, 1997) Ridley Scott, 1965 Boy and Bicycle to George, who allowed Orla Kiely OBE experience and service design are now integral parts me to borrow the Bolex for a month to (MA Knitted Textiles, 1992) of RCA disciplines. Director, producer and Royal College of Art alumnus, Sir Ridley Scott (ARCA shoot the film in North Hartlepool. I was Professor Magdalene Odundo OBE (MA Ceramics & Glass, 1982) The inventiveness of the RCA community never fails Diploma Graphic Design, 1961) is celebrated for his distinctive visual style also given £65 to finance the film and Dame Zandra Rhodes DBE and ability to craft memorable and atmospheric cinematic worlds. From the processing – a big budget, and something (DesRCA Diploma Class I Textile Design, 1965) to astound. Just flicking through these pages will take dystopian cityscapes of Blade Runner (1982), through the iconic deserts I’m still grateful for. Peter Schreyer you from fondly remembered visionary John Minton of Thelma & Louise (1991), to the evocation of second-century Rome While at the College, films of differ- (MA Vehicle Design, 1980) Sir Ridley Scott to the pioneering research happening at our Intelligent in Gladiator (2000) and chilling psychological scenes of Hannibal (2001) – ent genres, languages and locales, (ARCA Diploma Graphic Design, 1961) Scott is an innovator of the filmic form. In 2018 Scott received the highest especially those with a certain grittiness, Emma J Shipley Mobility Design Centre, as well as insights from our accolade from BAFTA, the BAFTA Fellowship for lifetime achievement. had a particular impact on me. I should (MA Textiles, 2011) This year, Scott’s company created a film for the RCA. Directed by Juriaan name Saturday Night and Sunday Clare Waight Keller foremost thinkers on the challenges and opportunities (MA Fashion Knitwear, 1993) Booij (MA Visual Communication, 2009), the film launches GenerationRCA, Morning (1960), The Seven Samurai of globalisation. the College’s largest fundraising campaign to date and a celebration of (1954), Citizen Kane (1941) and The In the end, it’s all about people – whether artists, every past, present and future generation of talented RCA students and staff. Third Man (1949) – Kurosawa and Welles Here he talks about his time as a student at the RCA and the process of making were masters. designers, writers, or theorists – and what they his first film, Boy and Bicycle (1965), with his brother, the late filmmaker There aren’t very many devices can achieve together. I hope you enjoy the stories in Tony Scott. I employ cinematically that I can trace back to my student days. You try not this magazine, and that you keep in touch with the ‘From an early age, it was film that attracted me. All my free time in Stockton- to repeat yourself, or at least, I try not to. College and with each other. on-Tees was spent at the local cinemas, watching everything and learning. You never At the RCA, I was focused on my own stop learning. You can even learn from so-called ‘bad’ films and television; there is desire to become better; curiosity usually something that makes you react or ponder. and determination are still needed I was a Graphic Design student so there were few opportunities to work with film on every film I make and develop. That while at the RCA, although I was fortunate to be offered a one-year course in Film and process never stops.’ 2 1 Giulia Garbin (MA Visual Communi- ‘Spending two years solidly include researching in the cation, 2013). Giulia Garbin is a concentrating on my library, sampling in the print ALUMNI London-based, Italian-born art director, sculptures, with the luxury room, drawing at my desk, graphic designer and illustrator. having discussions with STORIES Characterised by her passion for of time purely dedicated to mixing traditional and modern print building up or picking that peers and pursuing collabor- Writer: Jessie Bond (MA Critical Writing processes, she believes in the apart, meant that I could ations. We also had some in Art & Design, 2014) importance of craftsmanship within really focus my research and great sessions from diverse both digital and analogue design. thinking. While studying, visiting tutors. Drinks in the Giulia began her career working Art Bar were essential at for renowned branding and design I was thinking a lot about companies in Portugal, Switzerland scale and how that linked the end of the week to unwind!’ and the Netherlands. She produces with the content of my work. editorial and exhibition designs for Ideas around the body, and clients including Penguin Books, insides and outsides, Ryan Mario Yasin (MA Global Rizzoli, Fedrigoni and the V&A. Her Hugo Eccles (MA Industrial Design, Innovation Design, 2017). Ryan’s work has been published internatio- naturally happen with larger 1995) comes from a family of petrol graduate project Petit Pli proposed an nally in sources such as Pulp Journal sculp tures, so I was thinking heads. His father commuted to innovative solution to ill-fitting (Italy/UK), Brain (Japan), Creative about the details and how work on a metallic orange 1975 Suzuki children’s clothing. His waterproof Review, Grafik, It’s Nice That and YCN I could address some of my GT250, dressed in a suit and tie under outerwear uses engineered fabric that and exhibited across Europe and concerns without using the a one-piece waterproof, which was expands bi-directionally to grow with the USA. In addition to her studio ‘quintessentially James Bond’ in a child from age three months up to practice, Giulia works in partnership size of the works to fall back Hugo’s eyes. After graduating from three years. The design has been as senior designer with Studio PSK, on. So, in short, the detail MA Industrial Design with a Furniture awarded the James Dyson UK Award and as art director for Luncheon within the works became Design Award, Hugo went on to David Rayson (MA Painting, 1997) as well as the D&AD Impact Promise magazine. much more of a focus to me.’ work with the likes of Ross Lovegrove, is a London-based artist who was Award, and Ryan is currently develop- Rodney Fitch and Terence Conran, Professor of Painting at the Royal ing Petit Pli with support from ‘Studying at the RCA is a but retained a love of all things College of Art from 2006 to 2017. InnovationRCA, the College’s centre one-time opportunity to meet mechani cal, especially motorcycles. His early work concentrated on for enterprise. incredible people from He met fellow RCA graduate Adam meticulous paintings of urban and Nan Li (MA Womenswear, 2015). Kay, founder of Untitled Motorcycles, suburban scenes, in particular the ‘The RCA has an incredibly different disciplines, who After graduating from the RCA, Nan Li through the London motorcycling Ashmore Park Estate in Wolver- tight-knit, driven and will influence and inspire the returned to Berlin to launch the label community and in 2014 opened the hampton where he grew up.