In May 2014, Fraser Taylor donated a collection of items to GSA’s Archives and Collections. This collection represents the donors' time at GSA, then as Royal College of Art (RCA) student, and items related to the creative collective, The Cloth (1983-1987). Established by Brian Bolger, David Band, Helen Manning and Taylor for their Royal College of Art graduate show in 1983, The Cloth was as an overnight. From printed textile backgrounds, members of The Cloth worked across creative disciplines including textiles, fashion, graphics, illustration, set design, interiors and painting. This presentation provides insight into archive activities surrounding Taylor’s collection and reports on research in progress funded by the Leverhulme Trust.

Helena Britt is a Lecturer in the Department of Fashion & Textiles at The Glasgow School of Art. She is currently working on a Leverhulme Trust Research Fellowship project surrounding a collection of items donated to GSA’s Archives and Collections by alumni and Honorary Professor Fraser Taylor. Research interests surround aspects of historical and contemporary textile design practice including use of archives, impact of technology, practice-focused methodologies and textile pedagogies. Helena holds a PhD and PGCert Supervision in Creative Practices from GSA and MA Printed Textiles from the Royal College of Art.

Susannah Waters is the Archives and Collections Manager at The Glasgow School of Art, and as such is responsible for visitor services, collection management and outreach & engagement work. She studied History of Art at the University of Glasgow before completing a Masters in Archives and Records Management at the University of Liverpool. She is a registered member of the Archives and Records Association and an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Her research interests include the history of fine art and design pedagogy, the role of historical resources in higher education, and the use of archives by creative practitioners.