Tina Frank is a textile lecturer and design practitioner with over 20 years of teaching experience as a visiting lecturer in the UK.
Tina also works as a textile designer producing collections for interiors and fashion, which have been exhibited and sold internationally. Clients, Commissions and Consultancy include: Giorgio Armani, Armani Casa, Como Crea, DKNY, Dorma, Perry Ellis, Etro, Fila, Generra Sportswear, Gotex, IKEA, Joseph, Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren (creative concepts Home) John Lewis, Macy’s, Marks and Spencer, KAS and Sheridan Australia, Target Corp, TTD (Transfer Textile Design).
Appointed as a Lecturer in Printed Textiles at Loughborough College Of Art and Design in 1997, Tina is currently Print Pathway Leader for BA (Hons) Textile: Innovation and Design. As part of her teaching philosophy and experience collaborating with the design industry to promote enterprise, Tina has organised a number of live student projects including, Muraspec, Swarovski, and currently H&M. Students on the pathway are encouraged to gain experience participating in design competitions, exhibitions/ trade fairs and to undertake work placements both in the UK and abroad.
Tina organises the stand at Indigo Trade Fair in Paris annually in February where both student and staff design collections are exhibited and sold, this promotes the Textile: Innovation and Design Programme and maintains contacts for student placements and recruitment. She is currently undertaking the role of External Examiner at LCC University of the Arts London, Fda Surface Design. Tina also reviews books for Laurence King London.
Tina’s practice based research investigates hand screen-printing, textile processes and fabric manipulation and explores a variety of fabrics, surfaces and materials. The design themes for each collection explore imagery and pattern inspired from natural forms, to geometric pattern and typography and she has developed design collections and commissions for interior fabrics, surface, wallpaper, and fashion applications.
Current research projects include screen-printed and hand painted collections of Interior furnishing fabrics investigating surface and pattern on wool and cotton. Tina’s designs are exhibited annually at Heimtextil Frankfurt, Indigo Paris and to clients in the UK, Europe, Australia, USA and Japan.
Other recent research activity as a member of the Textile Research group has included the development of screen printed wool bespoke furnishing designs applied to vintage chairs that have been exhibited as part of the group, TRIP Textiles Research in Process that aims to develop and promote practice that investigates traditional ‘hand skills’ in contemporary textiles, together with new technology. An exhibition of TRIP group members work was shown at the Harley Gallery Wellbeck, August – October 2011 and in the Loughborough Design School Gallery alongside a symposium, titled TRIP Textiles Research in Process at Loughborough University School Of The Arts English and Drama in November 2011.
The ongoing series of exhibitions investigating practice based research narratives of the TRIP group will be shown in Helsinki, Finland during 2014.
- SAB621 Materials, Processes and Conceptual Application
- SAB622 Sampling and Textile Manufacture
- SAC631 Textiles: Innovation and Interaction
- SAA632 Final Project
Tina welcomes interest from researchers and design companies for collaborative research projects investigating textile processes and printing with materials and surface applications for interiors and fashion.