08/10/2026
And now for something completely differentā¦
Sometimes an opportunity appears that you donāt feel brave enough to take on...
And that was almost the case with this design I created for the Iconic Fatigue project.
Iconic Fatigue is a series of beds, each upholstered in a textile which tells the story of a person with an energy limiting illness.
You are invited to lie in the bed, put on headphones, and listen to each individual talk about their experience of living with chronic fatigue.
The project was conceived by Ellie Harrison of Polite Rebellion , with support from Arts Council England, and the University of Leeds.
My design was created to reflect the experience of photographer Lizzie Coombes.
The textile explores the contrasts between the very flat life she lived during the worst phases of her illness, and the colourful three dimensional world she is now able to inhabit most of the time.
As Lizzie is a photographer I incorporated her work into the design, creating a diary of her life through the ups and downs of her illness.
The pictures begin with the claustrophobic photos Lizzie took whilst her health was at its worst, giving way to her later instagram pictures which show her life becoming more free and colourful as her health improves.
In the design the framing of the photos also reflects the state of Lizzieās health.
Grubby tile grout surrounds the images of her more difficult days - making these pictures appear flat and one dimensional, whilst three dimensional window frames surround the pictures of her happier days when she can begin to see and experience the outside world.
Six beds will soon be touring the UK to spread awareness of this often misunderstood illness.
