THE JOURNAL
School of Furniture based at Highgrove, the family home of King Charles and Queen Camilla. The Design Centre has long been a champion of
craft with shows like Artefact and Formed with Future Heritage, as well as Craftmakers in Residence with QEST and Cockpit, and the ongoing sponsorship of Green Grads which supports design graduates blazing a trail for sustainability. The aim is to bridge the gap between makers and those seeking to acquire or commission unique pieces, whether from a talented individual at the beginning of their career or a highly regarded larger studio or gallery collective. Work on display can feature a variety of media and disciplines from sculpture, ceramics, glass, wood, textiles, basket weaving, metalwork and upcycled materials to furniture, lighting and art. For Design Centre showrooms, working with
craftspeople is a mutual meeting of minds. At Zoffany, lead designer Peter Gomez chooses to work with artisans who excel at what they do and bring their unique expertise to the creative conversation. This could be with artists like Melissa White (a relationship that spans more than a decade), or a heritage manufacturer for a new collection of damasks. The starting point is always Zoffany’s famous archives, but artisans are encouraged to focus on one design and interpret it in their own way. A graduate of The Royal School of Needlework, Livia Papiernik worked with Zoffany to create ‘Hampton Embroidery’, a vine-like pattern of colour, creatures and craftmanship that is a defining part of the Arcadian Thames collection. “When you work with artists at this sort of level you don’t really have a final idea of what it should be,” says Gomez. “Right from the concept stage, there's trust. It was bit of a learning curve on both sides,
Livia annotated every stitch, which was amazing for me to see how far we could push hand and machine embroidery.” Chelsea hotel At Sloane is steeped in British heritage
and craftsmanship, with lighting by Collier Webb playing a key part in the creation of the hotel’s unique atmosphere. For the project, French interior designer François-Joseph Graf acquired many original antique pieces by William Arthur Smith Benson, who was very much a part of the Arts & Crafts movement. “We specialise in taking the client’s vision and finding a way of remaking [older pieces] with today’s techniques and technologies, giving them something back that looks like it is original from the time,” says Collier Webb’s design director David Arratoon. The result is over 700 lights from flower-like ceiling pendants, smaller wall lights suspended on silk flexes that hang directly above oversized doorways and ornate table lights with vase- like glass chimneys that would have originally acted as protection against burning oil. “I believe crafted pieces do bring a deep sense of
joy through their very own stories of provenance and people,” says Vincent Pennetier, founder of new showroom August+Co, which promotes brands that excel in the artisanal-industrial production of fabrics, furniture, rugs and lighting. One of them is MYB Lacemakers, based in Scotland, which has been perfecting the craft of jacquard woven Nottingham lace and Scottish madras fabrics since 1900. “They maintain wonderful Victorian machinery, slightly upgraded to weave unique sheers and netting for interiors ,” says Pennetier. Completely mended by hand (the thin yarns damage easily through the finishing process), they are the last makers of such lace, in an
industry that counted 35 mills in the Irvine Valley, and many more in the Nottingham area in the 19th century. Their craft survives because the knowledge is passed on by Scott Davidson and his expert team to younger generation.” As artistic director of Pierre Frey, Patrick Frey
constantly seeks out artisanal know-how from artists and weavers to carpet and furniture makers. When the company acquired Le Manach it retained two traditional handlooms dating from 1850. Thanks to the skill of a handweaver (who was awarded the title of Chevalier des Arts et Lettres), two magnificent silk velvets from Le Manach’s legacy, with a tiger and leopard motif respectively, are still woven. At a rate of 99cm per day, they take ten months before they can be supplied to customers, but it is worth the wait. For British luxury womenswear designer Anna
Mason, opening her new atelier in Design Centre East was the perfect fit. “There are lots of other creative brands and visually driven products around you which is a great synergy,” she says. This is the place where fashion and interiors meet. “The whole nucleus of the brand is entirely hidden in this space,” she adds, explaining that her seamstresses, a pattern cutter, production and Mason herself all work from Design Centre East. Collaborating with interior designer Abbie de Bunsen, there is even a sofa upholstered in tactile Johnstons of Elgin tweed and corduroy in her signature ‘Anna’s Pink’ colour palette. Our hands may have become less necessary in a
digital age, but the nuance and power of craftsmanship in so many different forms are more important than ever. It is a timely reminder that our rich culture of making is still dynamic and relevant today.
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