Exhibition: Colour Installation

SB

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Scholten and Baijings are master colourists; they have a unique way of paring down their work to its essential forms and then using colour to transform each piece. I find their particular approach to design very appealing and was pleased to see that the duo have an exhibition on in Chicago, highlighting their work from the last ten years.

Together, the designers borrow from their Dutch heritage, and take a disciplined approach to combining craft with industrial processes. From creating furnishings for the Danish manufacturer HAY to tables for the Japanese artisanal wood manufacturer Karimokou New Standard, each piece is carefully considered.

In the exhibition, large-scale images taken by Dutch photographers Scheltens & Abbenes, focus the eye on the detail and colour of the work. The two are longtime collaborators and the pictures, specially commissioned for the exhibition, meticulously capture specific connections between the various lines of Scholten & Baijings’s work, while emphasizing their ability to generate beautifully creative expressions of everyday objects.

Colour Installation: Scholten & Baijings with photographs of Scheltens & Abbenes, is at the Art Institute of Chicago until 5 January 2014.

Makers & Brothers & Others

One of my favourite online shops Makers & Brothers has a lot to celebrate. Not only have they just turned two, but they are also about to launch their own mini department store in Dublin. The company are dedicated to promoting the best of Irish and international craftsmanship and they do a brilliant job. It's always interesting when online stores move into physical space and I'm very excited to see what they come up with. Makers & Brothers & Others will be a seasonal space dedicated to some of their favourite local and international finds. There will be the beautiful Irish woodwork of James Carroll along with with ceramics by Helen Faulkner and knitted toys by Claire-Anne O'Brien. There will also be a florist selling fragrant winter wreaths and posies, Wildflour Bakery serving up fresh baked goods and coffee, a beauty department run by Aesop, as well as a tiny gallery and bookshop. It all sounds like the perfect excuse to visit Dublin to me.

Makers & Brothers & Others runs from November 14 – December 24 at 5 Dame Lane, Dublin 2, Ireland.

Neon Wetsuits

Winter is fast approaching and one of my favourite things to do around here (all year long) is sea swimming. The water is cold, REALLY cold in winter, but I like to be hardcore and insist on just wearing a swimming costume. This year though, I'm thinking that a little extra warmth might not go amiss - especially when the suits look as good as this. Neon make bespoke wetsuits in a small studio in Newquay, on the Cornish coast. Each suit is handmade to order and there is an excellent range of tops, shorts and swimsuit styles. Mostly aimed at warm water surfers, they are available in a beautiful range of unique colours. I think they would be perfect for swimmers too, as the super stretch neoprene and tight seams will keep your body warm, while still feeling just like a normal swimsuit.

Mama Papa Baby House

Mama: Go Play adult smock by More & Co. Papa: Tiny Homes: Simple Shelter by Lloyd Khan. Baby: Vintage Noah's Ark by André Hellé. House: Heavy linen throw by Caroline Z Hurley.

Colenimo

If you fancy picking up some late summer sale items why not head over to Colenimo? Their S/S13 collection, which is now featured in the archive sale, is inspired by Helen Wills Moody, a famous tennis player from the 1920's and early 30's. The garments include British mill wool/linen suits, pure silk crepe dresses and simple cotton sun dresses made from British men's shirting fabric. My favourites are the backwards sailor tops and the over-dyed shirts coloured with English woad, a natural deep indigo dye. Colenimo is a small London-based company that produces all its clothes in the UK. Founded by Aya Nakagawa, the label strives to evoke a perfect vision of yesterday, creating timeless, elegant clothing in modern shapes with vintage details. If tennis whites aren't your thing, you may prefer the motor racing inspired A/W collection coming soon...

Madesmith

Madesmith appreciate good old-fashioned craftsmanship and offer an expertly curated collection of handmade objects. They believe in buying less and buying well and hope that by knowing where our things come from and who made them, we will cherish our belongings forever. Their beautiful shop and website represent several makers and designers who create unique items. Textiles, jewellery, shoes, accessories and home goods are all featured and the maker's stories are told through beautiful photographs and illuminating interviews. The products are available to buy from the Madesmith shop along with special collaborations and commissions. Their aim is that by connecting us with the artisans, we can support local communities and preserve the unique craftsmanship that is part of our culture.

All photography courtesy of Madesmith.

Buckitt Bag

I am always in search of the perfect bag and finally, I think I might have just found it. The Buckitt bag is a simple, high quality, hardwearing, British-made leather bag that is designed for everyday use. It is big enough to carry groceries and a lap top, yet smart and elegant too. Rae Jones was inspired to design the bag after seeing hordes of otherwise stylish women using grubby canvas totes, and even supermarket plastic bags, to carry their day-to-day belongings in. I am very guilty of this, I admit! The Buckitt bag is manufactured in a century old factory in Manchester, utilising the best of surviving British craft skills. It is made of high quality vegetable dyed leather that will age beautifully and is designed so that all components can be easily replaced should they wear out. You don't have to worry about losing your keys or purse at the bottom of the bag either, as there is a clever eyelet feature that can be used to attach a Buckitt loop, purse or pouch. Rae currently has a campaign on Kickstarter, where you can pledge funds in exchange for discounted bags and accessories. This is a great opportunity to support an exciting emerging brand while also receiving a classic piece that will last you a lifetime! The bags are currently available in a core collection of eight beautiful colours with accessories to match. Please visit and support her campaign here.

Mama Papa Baby House

Mama: Apiece Apart Mia Reversible Imari Quilted Jacket from Other. Papa: iPad case by Doe Leather. Baby: Sebra dolls pram from Kidsen. House: Porcelain cheese trays by MB Art Studios.

Crazy Wind

Crazy Wind is a clothing line based in Portland, Oregon, made using traditional Japanese kasuri fabric. Kasuri is a Japanese ikat and features specifically dyed fibres woven together to create blurred patterns and images. It's a special technique and designer Chiyo Takahashi, who was born in Japan, searches and sources the best authentic kasuri, directly from Japan. Chiyo's mother Hatsuyo Takahashi, also helps her find the material, making the brand a family affair. The name Crazy Wind comes from a Japanese word "Fuukyo-", which means insanity, a mad man or a person obsessed with their art. The word “Fuukyo-“ is constructed with two characters, “Wind” and “Crazy”. Chiyo found a calligraphy drawing of "Fuukyo-" made by her father, years before he passed away. "I have no idea about the backstory of this drawing, when he made it or why he made it, but I loved how he redrew the word "Wind" with this angry looking gorilla character, which my mother claimed was his self-portrait. It was as though he was saying "Be crazy and go your own way!" I hope this word will encourage the customers who wear Crazy Wind as much as it has encouraged me."

Bailey's Home & Garden

A few weeks ago while staying in Bristol, I made a serious detour to visit one of my all-time favourite shops, Bailey's. Located in a series of artfully updated farm buildings, deep in the Herefordshire countryside, Bailey's is most definitely a destination shop. It's not really near anything, but if you are ever even remotely in its vicinity, it is well worth a visit. While I was there, I took some photos to share with you. The shop is HUGE! It is a mini department store of sorts with a threshing barn, cowshed, cart shed, stable, tack room and loft, all filled with an ever-evolving collection of simple, useful and beautiful things. The merchandising is especially inspirational with unique displays and vignettes around every corner. Mark and Sally Bailey say they love things, "that are well designed, well made and not too complicated or fussy – old or new." I like this statement as it pretty much sums up my attitude to design too. I don't care about whether things are new or old, but I like them to be well made and thoughtfully created. As you can imagine, Bailey's is a complete treasure trove for someone like me - there is an abundance of well chosen furniture, lighting, kitchenware, homeware, textiles, kids things, accessories and for when you get weary, a beautiful tin shed cafe, serving delicious tea, cakes and sandwiches. I highly recommend paying the shop a visit but if that's not possible, you can catch a glimpse of some of the things on offer in Bailey's online store. We had a great day out and in case you're interested, came away with a much loved kids chair, which I know we will have for many years to come.

Mama Papa Baby House

Mama: Navy and white satchel by Trémoulière. Papa: Thinking about family bikes: the Bakfiets Short, from London Green Cycles, carries two children. Baby: Striped wooden spinning top by Sprint. House: Masks cushion by Hazel Stark.

Local

Local Apparel make beautiful and effortless clothing inspired by traditional materials and techniques. They use natural handknitted wools, organic cottons and featherlight gauzes, carefully and patiently embroidered by hand in Italy. The spring/summer collection features simple, wearable clothing, offered up in a trouble-free, straightforward, almost breezy kind of way. It's refreshing to find a company that believes being local is more important than going global and with such pleasing results, it's a good excuse for us all to wear local.

Japanese Sewing Books

I love Japanese clothes but in England they are hard to find, expensive and unless you are extremely petite, usually a little on the small side. Thankfully, I just found these great new books called Feminine Wardrobe: Twenty-One Beautiful Skirts, Dresses and Tops for You to Make, and Stylish Dress Book: Simple Smocks, Dresses and Tops, so that I can now make my own! The books are part of a series of Japanese sewing books, all reprinted in English and published by Laurence King. They feature lots of very wearable clothes in simple shapes that have just the right amount of Japanese quirk to stop them being boring. The instructions come through a series of simple, step-by-step diagrams, as well as actual-size patterns included in the back so they are really easy to follow. I have my eye on several of the designs and hope to make a couple in the coming months.

Mama Papa Baby House

Mama: Fishermen's trousers by Acne. Papa (for Mama to steal borrow): Drop brim trilby by Christys' from Liberty. Baby: Pocket detail cardigan from Cos. House: Striped circle cushion by Rebecca Atwood from Couverture & The Garbstore.

Rennes

I was going to show you an Autumn/Winter collection today, but the weather is pretty amazing in the West Country right now and looking at woolly jumpers doesn't seem appropriate. So let's just enjoy the breezy simplicity of these handmade dresses by Rennes instead. Rennes is a small sewing house based in Boston, Massachusetts. From start to finish Julia Okun drafts, cuts, and sews every piece in the collection, placing attention on small details, unique materials, and quality of craftsmanship. The company is inspired by simplicity and the belief that making an item by hand creates community. I love this idea and Julia's dresses (and bags) are my kind of everyday wear.

Mama Papa Baby House

Mama: Black sailor midi dress by The White Pepper. Papa: Woodcut print by Tom Killion. Baby: Albers sunsuit by Wovenplay from Couverture & The Garbstore. House: Lila stoneware jug from Toast.

The New Craftsmen Garage

I've written about The New Craftsmen before here and I'm very excited that they will shortly be opening a new space where customers can buy, commission and experience pieces from their growing network of British makers. The new shop is called The Garage and if these preview pictures styled by Sue Skeen are anything to go by, it's going to be a very special place indeed. Open from Friday 7th June, there will be workshops and demonstrations as well as pieces from some of Britain's finest craftsmen. There will be ceramics from Billy Lloyd and Nicola Tassie, woven textiles by Catarina Riccabona and beautiful leather goods from Doe Leather. I'm hoping to head over there in a couple of weeks but if you can't make it to the physical space, don't worry, you can see a small selection of the pieces online here.

The Garage is open from Friday 7th June at 14a Adam's Row, London, W1K 2LA.

The Set Table

I love beautifully set tables. By that I don't mean anything too fancy; just some nice plates and cutlery (it's fine if they are mismatched) with napkins and a few sprigs of flowers. Setting a table makes even the most simple meal feel special and having just read The Set Table: The Art of Small Gatherings by Hannah Shuckburgh, it's something I am going to make a bit more effort to do well. The book strikes just the right balance between inspirational and achievable and shows you how to set a beautiful table with modest resources. There are tips on choosing crockery and cutlery, suggestions for flowers and lighting, and advice on how to make all mealtimes that little bit more memorable. As well as Hannah's useful tips, the book also features lots of inspiring photographs, which make you want to grab some napkins, bake some bread and invite a few friends round. It's a good book and one that I'll be dipping into time and time again.

The Set Table: The Art of Small Gatherings is published by Cicada.

Mama Papa Baby House

Mama: Kestral Soar tan sandals by Clarks Originals. Papa: Letters From Everest: A First-Hand Account from the Epic First Ascent by George Lowe and Huw Lewis-Jones. Baby: red Tip Toe shorts with braces by Jessie and James from Liberty. House: wooden chopping boards from Bodie and Fou.

How About?

How about having a nice sit down with a cup of tea, on a Mathilda chair by Patricia Urquiola for Moroso? Yes please! Launched in Milan last month, the chair features Patricia's signature inspirational colour and material mixes, with a curved plywood backrest wrapped in woven rush and bound to A-shaped wooden legs. This chair has all the makings of a modern classic; they look amazing now but I think they will look even better with age, when the wood is weathered and the rush a little worn. The sign of a good chair, indeed.

www.moroso.it