Friday 27 February 2015

Inspiration || Teo & Steven

For those who didn't know, I also lecture at Manchester School of Art on the Textiles in Practice course. Fortunately for me, I'm constantly surrounded by inspirational art & design. A few weeks ago I strolled into the lobby only to find this huge two story high vibrant wall installation. There was no other option, the brains behind the master piece had to be picked!
After much research (mostly on instagram - #manchesterschoolofart) I tracked down Teo Klein-Velderman & Steven Yates, the final year Fine Art students working as a partnership in order to create these striking pieces.

So off I went to the fine art studios to meet these two cheeky chappy's, so relaxed in their work space as if they were sat in their own living rooms. Even their approach to designing an art piece is extremely casual, Teo takes a photo of the canvas on his iPhone then applies where the colour could possibly go using an app.

Laid back they may be (although I've not seen them in action during the lead up to an assessment?!) it's evident that these two students currently living in Fallowfield are passionate about what they do. Each canvas has sentimental value, paints are mixed in order to achieve the optimum palette and careful consideration is taken whilst constructing the composition. It's safe to say this design duo is going somewhere. Their 'for sale' page has been permanently placed on my desktop and if your bare walls are in need of a colour injection I suggest you take a look too.
 






Website
www.teoklein.blogspot.co.uk

Instagram
@steyates111
@tezkidd

Wednesday 25 February 2015

London Fashion Week || Street Style - Day 5

London has seen yet another fashion week season come and go. We went along to capture day 5 (the final day) and soak in the eclectic street style. Not only is it a great form of hands on research, it's fun, inspirational and ultimately a fantastic excuse to head into London for a day or two!

image by Rianna Phillips

image by Rianna Phillips

image by Rianna Phillips

image by Rianna Phillips

 image by Rianna Phillips

image by Jessica Beardmore - Me getting pap happy

image by Rianna Phillips

 image by Jessica Beardmore - My outfit - blog post to follow :-)


image by Rianna Phillips

Wednesday 18 February 2015

Studio || Design space

The current work load requires that the desk be filled with as much vibrancy and colour as possible! Not only are these flowers left over props from a photo-shoot that's just wrapped, they are a constant reminder that spring is around the corner . . . . as is the launch of our next collection 'Hybrid'. 
My favorite shops are suddenly filled with sandals and flip flops, Vogue and Elle are showcasing summer dresses, the local florist has a gorgeous selection of bulbs . . . . . and here in Cheshire . . . . . . it's absolutely freezing!
The length of my Michael Van Der Ham skirt is looking a little skimpy for next week's London Fashion Week adventure and the sleeveless Topshop jacket may also not have been the best idea!

 Moving on . . .
I love looking through peoples work surroundings on pinterest (check our 'masters at work' board), so here is how things are looking currently on my desk. A little pile of sample mini pouch bags seen to the left have just been added to our Etsy store, shop them here and here for a fantastic price of £10 each. I've been working on a new homepage look for a few weeks now, the laptop screen pictured below gives a sneak preview of what to expect. My trusty Sophie Conran cup see's me through copious amounts of tea (teapigs apple & cinnamon being the flavour of the month) and the current obsession of glass jam jars & mixed metals is slowly engulfing all available space! I blame Bloomingville interiors!



Thursday 12 February 2015

Worn by || I Am Fashioneer

 Have you heard of Rani Multani? Her fashion and lifestyle blog is packed with all sorts of inspirational objects, clothing, books, make up and more. Her minimalistic approach to blogging is also something to be desired. We love the way she styled up our Duli portfolio clutch bag from The Transcendent collection.



 Coat - H&M
Skirt - Ines V

Wednesday 4 February 2015

Inspiration || Richard Diebenkorn

Being a textile surface designer, I love to have books knocking about the studio that inspire the thought process. A current favourite and master of capturing texture is American painter Richard Diebenkorn. It may be frowned upon to crop into an artists existing work, but this process forces me to define the exact area that inspires my work. So here are a few snippets of his beautiful canvases.

Follow the board 'Art - Put me on a canvas' over on pinterest to keep an eye on what artists keep us inspired