HI! I’M LAYLA


“Textiles epitomises what I perceive creativity to be, fabric, colour, pattern, texture and composition. My love for textiles and design came from my family and friends around me. From my Nani teaching me her seamstress methods, my neighbour Jennie showing me how to knit and my family descending from shoemakers, textiles has been in my blood and in my surroundings since I was born. I find I am drawn to creating a cultural atmosphere in my work by immersing myself in the ethos and researching each particular strand thoroughly to enhance my design process.”

Find my full CV here.

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

  • Winner of prestigious Adobe Digital Edge Award 2022. National accolade for using Adobe Creative Cloud to create layered and digital textile designs as well as creating a professional portfolio/lookbook, inspired by fashion editorial spreads. As part of the award, was able to speak at the international Adobe Max Conference about my work and inspire other creatives.

  • Winner of Fife Contemporary New Maker Award’s for 2022 for the textile techniques used in my graduate collection Brick Lane: An Immigration Story. Awarded a grant to help me further my practice by helping me buy specialist materials, as well as receiving support through their yearly residency.

  • Winner of Incorporation of Bonnetmakers and Dyers of Edinburgh Award. Awarded a cash prize for my textile collection Brick Lane: An Immigration Story. Judges appreciated the thorough research of the immigration patterns in the area and how that reflected in the fabric designs.

  • Winner of Soft Furnishing Competition run in collaboration with John Lewis. Had to create a collection of contemporary fabrics for soft furnishings intended to make the current working from home environment adaptable yet relaxing. Combined an illustrative drawing style with fabric using printing, boro and quilting techniques, bringing traditional craft techniques into the 21st Century.

  • Watercolour illustration of a Lemon and Blueberry cake part of the Top 20 Food Illustrations published in Waitrose & Partners Food Magazine November 2020 and featured on the Waitrose & Partners Food App.