OUR MAKERS
We are proud to introduce you to the designers, the established craftspeople and emerging makers that form the Simple Shape collection.
Some of the pieces are made by design partnerships and studios who have worked on their designs, researched, sampled, refined and reworked their pieces and pursued and sought out the highest quality way to get it produced using British skill and industry. Others are designing, crafting, refining and making their own collections by hand.
WHO WE WORK WITH
MAKERS STORIES
Scott Benefield set up Benefield Spencer Glass in Northern Ireland. He is an artist working with glass.
Eva Sonaike studied for an MA in Fashion Journalism from the London College of Fashion, where she specialised in contemporary African fashion and textiles. In 2009 the desire to develop her own designs and a personal mission to bring the vibrancy of African colours to the home-interiors market, saw Eva begin her textile and interiors company.
Elliott Ceramics is the work of South London-based potter Elliott Denny. Working mainly in thrown porcelain Elliott has a minimalist approach to pottery.
Enrich & Endure was founded with the vision of reviving the local linen industry in Northern Ireland and with the commitment to the principals of using quality materials, protecting local craftsmanship and ensuring top-class design.
Feldspar is a design studio co-founded by Jeremy and Cath Brown. They moved from Hackney to Devon for a slower pace of life in the fresh air.
One of the last working mills in Ireland, Foxford was founded in 1892. In the following century the mill has withstood and overcome many challenges in order to survive.
Giannina Capitani is based in London’s East End and it is from her studio in Dalston that she designs and makes her textile collection.
Green&Blue was founded in 2005 by husband and wife team Kate and Gavin Christman. They are designers and innovators with a passion for wildlife and the outdoors.
Havelock Studio was established in 2015 by Jack Havelock Bailey. Simplicity, beauty and functionality are the three aims to consider when designing and making.
Libby Ballard set up her business - Libby Ballard Ceramics - in the spring of 2017, taking the leap to make pottery her career.
Haws was established in 1886 in Clapton, in the East-end of London by Mr John Haws. He had been working on developing a ‘waterpot’ that had perfect balance regardless of whether the ‘pot’ was full or nearly empty. He was successful and his watering can, as it became known, began to win awards and be widely acclaimed in the gardening world. Haws make the finest watering cans and accessories for gardens and homes.
Mimi Soan is an artist living and working in South East London. Mimi works in a range of different media including, illustration, textiles and street art.
Nutscene (the name originated from the first product, a green garden twine which, when tied around the plant cannot be seen, “not seen”, ‘Nutscene‘!) has been involved in the manufacturing and processing of jute twines since 1922, in Dundee, Scotland.
Rosie is a designer-maker, specialising in woodwork. She makes useful, beautiful and fully functional boards for serving and displaying food from her workshop in Devon.
Katy Goutefangea founded Ola, a British paper goods brand, in 2013. Ola’s focus is on everyday items with an emphasis on craft, quality and traditional manufacture.
The St Eval Candle Company had a simple start, crafting candles by hand in the family farm-house kitchen in North Cornwall. St Eval are determined to keep traditional crafts alive and the spirit of their business is rooted in ‘all-things-natural’.
Father and daughter, Edward and Iseult O'Clery began working together in a small workshop in Sandymount, Dublin. Soon they had founded Saturday Workshop.
Sue Pryke's work is concerned with functionality and the connections between craft and industry.
Superfolk is a design and make studio led by partners Gearoid Muldowney and Jo Anne Butler. Together they design and make homewares ‘for people who love the wild outdoors’.
Tom Pigeon is a creative studio, founded in 2014, that makes simple crafted objects for people to enjoy.
Tony Farrell is a wood-turner and wood-harvester. All his work is made in his workshop in Cork, Ireland from native Irish woods, which he harvest and season himself.
Zuzana is a London based designer/maker working with fibre and textiles to make homewares and accessories. She is strongly influenced by traditional crafts.
Coming full circle with Katie Mitchell. Read our Q&A. Katie will be teaching a macrame workshop on Thursday 2nd November at our Simple Shape Studio-Shop
Kim Jordan is a cabinetmaker, he designs and makes furniture and other smaller pieces from his workshop in East London. He trained as an “ébéniste” in Paris and describes his work as “British Design meets French savoir-faire”. We asked 10 questions, read on…
Our Simple Shape Studio is going to be a mass of felt, embroidery thread, beads and sequins for our Christmas Decoration Workshop. Author & presenter, Christine Leech, founder of SewYeah will be passing on her skills. We asked her 6 questions about her creative roots.
The gift of some carving tools prompted Ewen Brown, founder of the Norfolk based workshop Slow Made Goods, to start experimenting with wood. Now just a handful of years later, he is turning a living from it. We posed 10 questions…
We are really excited to be hosting print artist Anna Ruiz for the Brockley Open Studios, Sat 2nd & Sun 3rd July. Walk through the streets of Brockley and find local artists and makers and seize this special opportunity to buy unique works. Read on for details and a Q&A with Anna.
Enrich and Endure was founded to make the very best Irish linen aprons. We asked Sarah Quinn 10 Questions.
