Category: News

1. Artisan Workshop: Card Case & Key Fob Making

While Dunhill is known better today for its sharp tailoring, it was founded back in 1893 to outfit people getting onto the then-newfangled motoring craze – so it makes sense that key fobs are still a large part of the label’s business. This workshop at Dunhill’s factory in Walthamstow will be great as not only do you get to see how they make their leathergoods, but you also get to take a personalised example home yourself. 

2. Scented Candle-Making Masterclass with Earl of East London

My house is filled with more scented candles than I’d care to count, including one by Earl of East in my bedroom (Atlas Cedar, to be specific). However, what I don’t have is any of the brand’s new bath salts – which I’m keen to learn more about (and make) at this workshop.

3. The Art of Repair: Kintsugi at wagumi 

I have always found the Japanese process of repairing precious pottery with lacquer and metal, not superglue, absolutely stunning. This workshop, which includes a lecture on the art of repair as well as a Japanese small plate and incense holder to work on (and take home), for me, is unmissable. 

4. Daylesford Explores the Craft of the Tabletop 

Speak to anyone who I’ve ever sent a thank you letter to and they’ll tell you I have abysmal spider-like handwriting. For the benefit of those people, I feel that calligraphy is a skill I should probably learn sooner rather than later – plus any excuse to spend far too much on baked goods and cheese at Daylesford is a good one, in my opinion.

5. ERDEM’s Personal Art Collection

Yes, you could go to his shop and drink in the designer’s stunning art collection any time – but I feel those Warhols and Cocteaus will look even better with a glass or two of complementary champagne. 

6. Hiut Denim at the Office of the Secretary of State for Wales

As a dedicated devotee of double denim, getting an insight into Hiut – a seriously cool jeansmaker based in a tiny Welsh town where ten per cent of the community is employed by the brand – is one not to pass up.

 

If you want to sum up what makes London Craft Week such an important expression of the capital’s creativity, you just have to look at the history of dunhill. From his beginnings in his family’s harness company in the second half of the 19th century, founder Alfred Dunhill’s passion for the emerging motor industry taught him how tradition and technology, craftsmanship and creativity could and should be perfect partners. Today dunhill is a global brand that stays true to this founding philosophy.

During this year’s London Craft Week, dunhill is celebrating the brand’s new global HQ in Mayfair. Designed by London-based architect Linda Morey-Burrows in partnership with dunhill, this has been crafted over two floors of a heritage building and embodies the qualities of tradition and forward-thinking design that have been synonymous with dunhill since its beginnings in 1893. To encapsulate this in a modern masculine space that inspires the team, the design plays with details that reflect the brand such as black leather, brass, ironmongery and tailoring fabrics alongside etched glass and wood, exposed concrete columns and steel balustrades. The result neatly sums up the dunhill approach.

According to dunhill CEO Andrew Maag, “Not only is new technology revolutionising the retail experience in the digital sphere, such as our new WeChat boutique, but it is also helping to make the craftsman’s job more interesting and innovation is helping to attract a new generation to engage with a wide variety of more interesting materials and provides the tools that help do things smarter, faster and better. But, of course, you need people who can touch and feel.”

This commitment to craftsmanship still has its roots planted firmly in London’s rich soil. dunhill’s workshop in Walthamstow opened in 1936 and the team based there continue to produce the finest leather accessories in the business, as well as offering a bespoke service for anything from wallets to luggage. “Craftsmanship is all about telling stories,” explains Maag. “When you are buying a leather bag you can start by comparing quality and price but discovering the story behind a piece – how it was made, the thought and the engineering that went into it and what did (or did not) make it to the final offer – is what makes the real difference to a luxury brand. Our knowledge of skins, of pattern making and engineering has to be the foundation of what we do.”

This commitment is reflected in dunhill’s tailoring, too. Today, the bespoke tailoring all takes place at the flagship store Bourdon House where Maag has had the space redesigned, partly with an eye to attracting young craftsmen to join the business, such as the two new strikers (assistants to cutters) that have recently been signed up. “I see a vibrancy in the young people of London who are passionate about what they do,” says Maag.

So, it comes as no surprise that dunhill is one of the Headline Sponsors of the fifth London Craft Week. The brand’s centuries-old roots in the capital is proof of the astonishing range of craftsmanship and creativity that has always been found here.

Text by Robert Johnston

View dunhill’s events here 

London Craft Week is looking for new volunteers to join the team from Wed 8 to Sun 12 May 2019. 

From the smallest off-the-beaten-track atelier to the storied livery halls of ancient makers’ guilds, the shop floors of luxury retailers to St Paul’s Cathedral, London Craft Week takes people on a journey of discovery into the capital’s most creative spaces.

Launched in 2015 London Craft Week aims to showcase creativity and craftsmanship across Art, Fashion, and Design, celebrating the unsung heroes both established and emerging from each. 

Since our inception, the week has doubled in size. This year there will be over 230 events, covering 50+ craft disciplines from musical instrument making to basket weaving and spectacle making. Check out the full list of events at: lcw-xk7yr.projectbeta.co.uk/programme.

Every year volunteers play a big part in creating a very special atmosphere at London Craft Week by helping visitors to get the most out of the week. By joining the LCW team as a volunteer, you help us by being the onsite presences at each event, dealing with visitor queries, occasionally assisting with any event logistics such as ticketing/guest list, and supporting the individual event runners by being the direct contact to liaise with where any LCW team support is needed. 

We will make every effort to ensure you gain valuable experience in working behind the scenes at a not-for-profit events organisation while having lots of fun!

You will be required to attend a half-day training session on Thursday, April 25th This training session will serve as an introduction to LCW and will cover the different aspects of the volunteer role.

We would ideally like someone to commit to volunteering for the whole period of the 8-12th May, however, we are open to working with your schedule and the hours that are possible to you.

We reimburse reasonable travel expenses and lunch against receipts – refreshments will be available at the office additionally.

If you are interested in learning more about the not-for-profit world of art festivals, and/or are interested in the craft sector, please send your CV and a brief statement of interest to Kate@londoncraftweek.com.

Brutal Textures: Sculptural Ceramic Course
From Sat 2nd March  

Make a ceramic sculpture inspired by the Brutalist Architecture of the Barbican in a month-long course with Artist Matt Raw. You’ll learn a number of different techniques, and the final pieces will be displayed collectively at the Barbican Centre for LCW 2019.

Image credit: Matt Raw

Be a TOAST New Maker
Apply before Weds 13th Feb 

TOAST are seeking makers of all disciplines to apply for their New Makers programme. The initiative will support and mentor five emerging makers by offering business and marketing advice, as well as a platform to sell their pieces. The winners’ pieces will be displayed for LCW 2019.

Image credit: TOAST

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Urban Potters: Makers in the City
Available now – published by Ludion.  

Design Journalist Katie Treggiden explores the contemporary revival of ceramics in London, Copenhagen, New York, Sao Paulo and Tokyo. The book focuses on each city’s young and passionate makers and introduces their studios, their work and their inspiration. 

Image credit: Yeshen Venema

Making is Good for You: The Heritage Craft Association Conference
Saturday 9th March – 10am – 4.45pmAs mental health remains high on the political agenda, this full-day event will shine a light on the link between making and improved wellbeing through a series of talks with Jay Blades, Celia Pym and Lawrence Neal. 

Image credit: Heritage Craft Association​ – Kate Hetherington, Collar and harness maker

For LCW programme updates, plus news, offers, partner events & more, sign-up to our newsletter by clicking here.

In this month’s Maker in Focus interview, we spoke to ceramic globe maker Loraine Rutt on being inspired by historic cartographers, creating a moon globe for an Apollo 15 astronaut, the importance of collaboration, and her advice for aspiring craftspeople.

LCW: What does your typical day look like?

LR: Often I wake quite early and the quiet stillness allows the better of my creative thoughts to filter to the top. I’ve learnt not to worry about making notes and sketches in the wee small hours as I think the good ideas will hopefully stick around.

By mid-morning it’s generally studio time. There’s a lot of different stages to making the globes and cases, so I tend to work in small batches, making 4 or 5 globes one week, and a similar amount of cases another.

The larger wall pieces like the Segment series involve quite an intense amount of focus. The first edition took take around a thousand hours to model the 24 relief segments to scale in wafer-thin porcelain layers.

On the rare occasion I stop for lunch it’s a treat to sit with my lovely neighbours in our courtyard at the Arches Studios. Most days are at least 12 hours, but when you thoroughly enjoy your work it tends to fly by.

LCW: What initially led you in to craft as a career?

LR: It was a sideways step really. I’d always loved maps so when I’d just left school aged 16 and saw a job as apprentice cartographer at Birkbeck College I leapt at the chance. Both my primary and secondary schools had brilliant teachers who embraced art and craft and I was lucky to work with clay from about the age of 9. Whilst I loved drawing maps I knew I was happier making things so did some evening classes at Putney School of Art where Esperanza Romero was teaching. She was really complimentary about what I was making and talked about the ceramics degree she had recently completed. I applied to Central (St Martin’s) and to my joy I got in! It was a life changing experience.

LCW: What role does craftsmanship and making have in society?

LR: Room for creativity has been sadly squeezed from the curriculum, but it is so very important. Not just for sowing the seed for budding artists and makers, but for all careers. The problem solving and inventiveness required when working with materials can give children, and adults the confidence to flourish in other areas too. Thankfully the education sector is starting to realise this, and there is a move, starting from the ground up, to factor in more time and budget for art and making.

LCW: What are the positives and negatives about being a craftsperson?

LR: ‘Expect the worst and hope for the best’ is my approach in the studio. Being a craftsperson, working in my own studio is mainly a positive experience, I enjoy the freedom of making what I want to make, and experimenting, although there are moments when the ‘expectations’ unfortunately get the upper hand. I spent a long time (over two years) trying different ways to make the pocket globes and the cases, with many disappointments along the way, but when I started to get the results I was seeking, everything just came together.

It’s a positive joy collaborating with other craftspeople. I work with wood turner Richard Findley, a specialist box maker Tom Aylwin, and gilder Gary Gronnestadt. Mia of Sabel Saddlery taught me how to make the bespoke leather covered cases.

On the negative side, the hours can be tough, I left a 9-5, 5 day a week job 30 years ago and now I do 9-9, 7 days a week. It is immensely satisfying though being able to play a part in the giving of bespoke gifts. I get to travel vicariously through commissioned globes, and share a small part in the gift giving. The first ever order for a bespoke globe placed on my website asked for an inscription ‘Jacqui – Marry Me?’ I was slightly nervous at making the carrier of this important message. I was delighted to receive the news that Jacqui said yes.

LCW: What are you most proud of?

LR: There’s been a few self-pinching moments recently, one of which was showing my tiny Moon Globes to an Apollo 15 astronaut that had been there and mapped 75% of the lunar surface. When I met him again a year later he told me that he loved my work, kept my globes on his desk, and asked if I would be interested in doing a limited edition. So this year sees the launch (pardon the pun) of The Al Worden Lunar Globe commemorating 50^th Anniversary of the Lunar Landings.

Another highpoint last year was being commissioned by The National Maritime Museum to make a Pocket Globe for their permanent collection. And I’m chuffed to bits to have been asked to lend my Peckham Postcard series, which charts the disappearance of the River Peck to The Museum of London for their Secret Rivers exhibition in Docklands this summer.

LCW: Who or what inspires your work?

LR: Not one thing or person, but indeed many. I was lucky to have been taught by inspirational ceramicists at Central. Richard Slee’s work is so immaculately made, original, and with such a wry wit it never fails to make me smile. Eileen Nisbett and Gillian Lowndes were both pioneers of pushing the medium in very different directions and were incredibly generous teachers.

Some of my edition pieces are hat-tipping acknowledgement to inspirational historic cartographers. The finesse and incredible level of detail contained within maps never ceases to inspire me. Emery Molyneux travelled with Drake on his second circumnavigation of the globe in 1577-80 then made the first English Globes, one of which survives at Petworth House, and another in Middle Temple. Social geographer Charles Booth mapped the social status of every inner London house in the 1890’s, and by doing so highlighted the extent of poverty in city. I have some experimental work in progress at the moment for some geology pieces inspired by William Smith, who single handedly and pretty correctly drew the first geological map of the UK; Marie Tharp who drew the first maps of the ocean floor; and Phyllis Pearsal who walked the entire streets of London to map the A-Z.

LCW: What is the one piece of advice you’d give to an aspiring craftsperson?

LR: Go and look at as much craft as possible, and keep an open mind about what you’d like to make and try as many materials as you can. Make the most of London Craft Week and also sign up for newsletters from The Crafts Council, there are many workshops to take part in. Trust in your own ability to make original work. If you are interested in being a maker then it is just a matter of research, practice and time and following your heart.

Website: www.thelittleglobeco.com

Instagram: @the_little_globe_co

For more Maker in Focus interviews, LCW news, events, offers and more, sign-up to our newsletter by clicking here.

We’ve partnered with The Conran Shop to offer one lucky subscriber the chance to win an exclusive two-person masterclass at Make-Ready’s world-renowned North London print studio.

The grand prize will transport the winner and their plus one behind the screens of this iconic print house to learn the craft of screen-printing from Make-Ready’s expert printers and take away with your very own one-of-a-kind masterpieces.

To be in with a chance of winning, please answer the following question and enter your details in the fields below. Competition closes at midnight on 18 March 2019.

 

 

 

 

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Sensory Preference in Prosthetics Study: London
Sat Jan 26 — Sun Jan 27 

In an effort to inform and develop the design of prosthetic limbs, this research study explores people’s preferences and experiences of materials in prosthetics. These sessions will be run over two days by Caitlin McMullan, a designer, researcher and below knee amputee, and Sarah Wilkes, a materials researcher, at the Institute of Making. Read more

Exploring Forgiveness and the meaning of Peace with Carrie Fertig
Sat Sep 29 — Sun Mar 24 

Carrie Fertig invites visitors to share their stories and explore emotions of anger, resentment, shame and the process of forgiveness through an engaging experience of sound, moving image, and installation. The installation is on display at LCW 2018 partner the National Glass Centre. Read more

The inkblot looked like me by Susumu Matsuura
Tues Jan 29

The Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation offers an exclusive look at Susumu Matsuura’s latest work and a discussion about his inspirations. “The works on show at the Foundation have “human feelings” as their main theme”. The exhibition is open for public viewing until 28 Feb. Read more

The latest craft news 

The State of Fashion 2019

This report, a result of a collaboration between The Business of Fashion (BoF) and McKinsey & Company, provides insight into the future of the global fashion industry in 2019, an overview of the market status as well as a look into the current and forthcoming trends affecting the industry. Read more

Chanel’s vision for the new year
Chanel, the Parisian luxury brand, welcomes the new year with the establishment of the London headquarters and changes to their management structure. Moreover; the fashion house has also embraced a no fur no exotic skins policy towards their production line. Read more

Luxury brands adapt to embrace a new digital world 

Millennials and Generation Z consumers make up over 30% of all luxury spending. Their spending behaviours are increasingly influenced by online activity – so how can luxury brands adapt their digital strategies whilst remaining authentic? Read more.

Sign-up to our newsletter for the latest LCW news, events, offers and more. 

In this month’s Maker in Focus interview, we spoke to trug maker Jane Crisp about her love for wood from a young age, her inspiration from nature, how she uses boat builder’s techniques and the importance of pushing boundaries through experimentation as a craftsperson.

Jane Crisp’s is part of the maker community at The Room Service, her work was featured at the talk and demonstration, “Canapés, Ceramics & Conversation: with Roux Scholar Dan Cox and The Room Service” during LCW 2018.

LCW: What is your background?

JC: I’ve always loved making and I have been drawn to wood from a young age. I travelled quite a lot when I was younger and then after settling down in Norfolk, I began to educate myself with the skills I needed to realise my designs. I went to college and then Bucks New Uni and studied furniture design and craft. I graduated and set up my business making trugs from borrowed spaces. I now live in Hale Fen, Cambridgeshire working from my home studio and lovely purpose-built workshop.    

 

LCW: How have you developed your career? Was there a pivotal moment that drew you to your craft?

JC: My pivotal moment or DNA of my practice happened when I lived on a boat. I started making things to help me live and I was inspired by the nature that surrounded me. I became interested in tradition and evolutionary crafts. My trugs are a direct example of this moment, they are built using boat-builder’s techniques, steam-bending and clinker construction, the components shapes are inspired by the reeds that line the fields and rivers and if you catch them in the wind they will rock like boats.

I got my work out there entering competitions and exhibiting at shows. I was a Crafts Council Hothouse participant. Being under the Crafts Council umbrella really helped and I got coverage in lots of magazines and won awards at shows. I have built relationships with some great companies most recently started working with a wonderful new company called The Room Service www.theroomservice.co who sell beautiful pieces of craft, as seen in design-led spaces such as hotels and restaurants. They really understand what I do and portray the special details in my designs perfectly. Being involved with them and being a part of their incredible curation has really built my confidence and propelled me in the craft world. It seems to have snowballed and lots of new and exciting opportunities have appeared for my business.

 

LCW: What does your typical day look like?

JC: I start with a coffee and check my weekly planner and work out what making I have to do during the day. I sit and check my emails and notifications, slurping my coffee whilst adding jobs to my lists. I run around the house tidying up and then open the workshop, always by nine or before, I get the heater on and clean, hoover and set up for making. I’m already in the zone by this point, I feel more relaxed now I’m outside and there’s pace, enthusiasm and rhythm to my work. I have to balance this though with focus like any practise or discipline. I try to come in from my workshop by five, light a fire cook, eat and work on my designs and my laptop.    

LCW: What role does craft and making have in society?

JC: Craft says something, reminds you of something, craft creates dialect, an emotional language of its own. It’s engineering solutions to aid living and something that’s treasured and passed down through thousands of years of evolution. It brings biophilic design to interiors, connects us to nature and brings culture, personality and joy to our lives. It challenges our thinking and pushes new limits. Most of all though it brings people together as they share knowledge, craft stories and enthusiasm.    

 

LCW: How long does it take for someone to really build confidence in their craft?

JC: I am building confidence in my craft and it’s hugely satisfying. I don’t know if it ever fully happens but I’m sure this is part of the attraction. It’s like figuring things out all the time and pushing things further so it grows and never ends. I began by pushing traditional craft practises to expose the properties of materials and create the “how-did-you-do-that” factor. At university, I made a steam-bent desk called the paper trail of life. There were no uprights and the piece relied on triangulating the joints for structural strength. I asked my tutor if he thought it would work and he said I don’t know. It worked and I sold the piece but this way of working has a lot of unknowns. It creates identity within my work but also loads of experimentation and product development work.

 

LCW: What are the positives/negatives about being a craftsperson? 

JC: Every day when I get outside and into my workshop, I feel grateful that I’m able to make for a living. I go a little crazy if don’t make and when I do I’m at my best. I really hate spiders and I can be isolated at my busiest times.  

LCW: What’s one thing you would most like to own?

JC: A wood with a river connected to the waterway system and a mooring with a narrow boat. I would use the timber to make my work, coppice, manage the woodland, forage and build a big tree house cabin. I would, of course, need a pole lathe, workshop and wind turbine with water on sight. It would be something to nurture, preserve and pass down. 

 

LCW: Is there another career path that you could have chosen? 

JC: I have been a volunteer at Oxburgh Hall in Norfolk for nearly a year and I love it. I’m a Conservation Assistant working close up with the collection. The more I’ve become a part of the story of Oxburgh the more I’ve fallen in love with the house. I’ve gained knowledge through amazing National Trust courses and inspiration creatively. I’ve got three new sculptures and a product range based on the house that I will be releasing next year to help raise money for the Raise the Roof restoration project happening in 2019. I love getting close up with the craftsmanship and I actually love learning about history and preserving it for the future.

 

LCW: Do you have someone that you idolize? Craftsperson or otherwise. 

JC: Sebastian Cox is someone I really look up to. He was a mentor for me during the Hothouse program. I saw some of his sketches and technical drawings at a presentation and they were fascinating. I love the way he pushes new processes and creates a strong identity. He is also a woodsman, an extremely talented maker and a great businessman too.

 

LCW: What is craft to you? What does it represent?

JC: Craft for me is my place to go, a place where I can truly be myself. It’s who I am and I am my craft. It’s my respect for materials and an expression of myself. I go to craft to celebrate and create but also to be in the now and forget everything else. Craft represents thoughts of others, tales and mythologies passed down. It represents history and amplifies tales of eras, technologies, scientific developments and cultural beliefs.