THE DESIGN EDITION
THE LIFE STYLE EDIT YO U R C U R AT I O N O F L I F E & S T Y L E
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“CREATIVITY, IS NOTHING BUT A MIND SET FREE” - TORRIE T. ASAI
© Copyright 2018 The Life Style Edit. A CURATION OF LIFE + STYLE
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, scanning or other electrical or mechanical methods, without prior written permission of the publisher, except where noted.
All imagery supplied by Interviewees. Direct credit given where supplied. COVER PHOTO: SIA CHAIR, DESIGNED BY TOM FEREDAY. TWO | 02
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THECONTENT
MEET
OUR DESIGNERS.
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EDITOR’S LETTER Heidi Albertiri
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VOW STUDIO Fashion Design
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QUERCUS & CO Textile and Wallpaper Design
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TOM FEREDAY Industrial Design
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BUTTERCREAM BAKERY Cake Art
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ELOISE JENKINS Graphic Design
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EMILY LAUREN Graphic Design
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TRACEY DEEP Floral Sculptures
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EVIE GROUP Homewares and Accessories
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RACHEL CASTLE Homewares and Art
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THE SEEK SOCIETY Outdoor Products and Accessories
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IMOGENE ROACHE Stylist
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JAMFACTORY Design Studio
AND OUR TEAM. EDITOR Heidi Albertiri editor@thelifestyleedit.com.au @heidi_albertiri
ART DIRECTOR Emma Cheg. emma@thelifestyleedit.com.au @emmacheg
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IRI RT E B
@H EID I_A L
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HEIDI ALBERTIRI
FOUNDER + EDITOR, THE LIFE STYLE EDIT
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“I AM FEELING THE URGE, TO PUSH THE BOUNDARIES. I don’t know if it is because I am getting older, but lately there is a perspective and clarity in what I am seeing and my choices. I am feeling the urge to push the boundaries with myself more than ever, to take away the ties that bind, the excuses, the stories and restrictions and throw caution to the wind and just do it. However it is received, so be it. I am trusting and following the inner guidance of the stirrings within.
So as you explore the clever people on the next few pages, take a moment to really honour their work, their world, delve deep into their stories and tell them. Jump on to social media or their websites. Let them know what you think of them, and their work.
I got feedback this week about a job and I burst into tears to know that someone actually noticed and appreciated what I did; and I took it. I said Thank You, and puffed my little chest In reading the stories of the unbelievable Makers in this issue, out so much...I had a proud moment that I am not alone I am in awe at each and every one. Our conversation series in the crazy journey. Sometimes it’s just nice to hear that is my favourite as we delve into the minds, hearts and souls someone appreciates us. of our fellow humans. We are all on different versions of the same journey really, and it’s beautiful that they open up and On that note. Thank you for taking this journey with us. share with us as they do. How lucky are we?. I appreciate every single one of you that takes the time to purchase, read and delve into our world. #yourock. xH
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VOW STUDIO A young Melbourne designed label, Vow Studio captures inspirations from our beautiful earth, transferring them into exciting and unique patterns and prints. Vow Studio’s aesthetic is both fashionable and artistic, an expression of a woman’s vivacious femininity.
TLSE: New on the fashion scene with your debut A/W 18’ collection, tell us - who is the brainchild behind Vow studio, and how did you come to put needle to thread? HAILEY: We are, Morgan Jia and Hailey Pei, the co-founders of Vow Studio. We were both born and raised in China and decided to chase our design dream in Melbourne. We met each other at RMIT while completing the Bachelor of Fashion Design. After graduation in 2015, I continued my study with a Master of Fashion Entrepreneurship at RMIT and Morgan decided to take another path and gain more work experience in the fashion industry. We’ve been thinking of doing something fun together since back when we were at uni. We have complimentary skill sets in design, we share the same aesthetic, and last but not least we are best friends! After a year of working and studying in 2017, we decided to establish our own brand – Vow Studio. A CURATION OF LIFE + STYLE
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TLSE: Vow captures inspiration from Mother Nature, translating them into exciting and unique patterns and prints; your first collection originated from an accidental encounter with a cluster of jellyfish, no less! Do you see nature and our beautiful planet having an underlying effect on future work to come, or will you move onto new collections with entirely new concepts? HAILEY: We have always been fascinated by objects that Mother Nature provides, which is what inspired us the most. We enjoy giving them that ‘fun’ and ‘unexpected’ personality, which also allows us to add a sense of humour into our design, as you can see in our lively and jumpy jellyfishes this season.
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For our future collection, we will also include other elements as we don’t want to limit ourselves in one certain way. Anything interesting which can make our collection fun and colourful will be considered. TLSE: What ideas are brewing for future collections? What can we expect in terms of themes, colours and shapes, for S/S 18’? HAILEY: We have already finished the design stage of S/S18. We have twisted mother nature into something cool and fun. We are using ‘ice cubes’ as our main design elements. I mean, who doesn’t want to wear ice cubes in the hot and sweaty summer? In terms of colours the fresh pastel blue and pink vibe is continued from the previous collection, with a touch of white and navy. We also maintain our artistic and feminine silhouette style. Sit tight and be prepared to get ‘voooooowed’! Vow Studio will deliver you a fresh summer breeze. TLSE: Define the Vow Girl. Who is she and what does she feel when she wears your clothes; what qualities does she embody? HAILEY: The Vow Girl is someone who is optimistic, creative, loud and cool. She is soft and adorable around her friends. She embraces colour; she loves to be the centre of the crowd; she enjoys her life and appreciates the sense of humour in our design. She is fashionable and follows trend with her own take. When she wears our clothes, the Vow girl will feel fun and energetic. It’s a vibe we work hard to deliver, through the high quality of our clothing.
TLSE: On your ultimate collaboration, and why. HAILEY: Mansure Gavriel! We love Mansure Gavriel. Their designs have been so inspiring to us. We share a very similar aesthetic and vibe in terms of colour tones, silhouette and the quality of our products, even though we are focusing on two different categories. There will definitely be a lot of Vow Girls matching our clothes with their bags. We also absolutely love their store decorations, we can really vision vow studio products displayed in their store. Last but not least we believe in the same brand value which is, ‘aiming to make our customers high quality products at affordable prices’. TLSE: And finally, on how you’re finding your niche as an emerging fashion and textile designer, and the best creative advice you’ve ever been given. HAILEY: We are very proud to say that our brand is original and unique within the current Australian fashion industry. We maintain sophistication and exquisite details while being loud, vivacious and cool. Most of our Australian competitor brands choose to focus differently. Another essential reason why we are different is because we have injected our own distinct personalities into our design and print. The best advice which has influenced us so far is that, ‘good designs need to stay true to yourselves, don’t try to be someone else’. @VOWSTUDIO.MELBOURNE | WWW.VOWSTUDIO.COM.AU
“GOOD DESIGN NEEDS TO STAY TRUE TO YOURSELF.”
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TOM FEREDAY Tom Fereday develops products based on the principle of honest design, conveying a design process which celebrates the materials and manufacturing processes behind furniture and products, to design from the inside out.
TLSE: You’re one of Australia’s leading furniture designers, and last year you were named as one of seven international designers to watch at the Stockholm Furniture Fair. Having studied Industrial Design at UTS, you started your own studio in 2012, designing for brands such as DesignbyThem, Dessein and Zennith; you’ve also been mentored by Marc Newson. An enviable start to your career, what drew you to industrial design? TOM: It was all a bit of an accident to be honest. I went to art college (Wimbeldon School of Art) studying sculpture and fine art only to drop out as I simply struggled to justify what I was making. I found out about product design and took a chance to apply for the course at UTS with little knowledge of the industry, only to find out I really enjoyed it.
TLSE: Sustainability is an important consideration when it comes to contemporary design; it’s an interesting concept, when you consider we are in the profession of designing beautiful products to fulfil and create wants, rather than serve actual needs. How far has design come in terms of sustainability, how do you personally seek to insert an element of sustainable responsibility in your designs, and how can the product design industry support the movement towards a more sustainable future? TOM: There is a responsibility when dealing with physical objects that I think is important to be aware of and so I try to make pieces that will be cherished and hopefully not replaced or discarded. For me this starts with working with natural, beautiful long lasting materials. I think the focus needs to be firmly placed on thelongevity of products, and their design.
TLSE: You’ve been quoted as saying your products have nothing to hide. Whether it’s how they are made or where they are made, the process is entirely honest. How important is this ethos when it comes to starting a new project, and what does Good Design mean to you? TOM: I think it’s important to be proud of what you make and attempt to make objects that retain their value to people both aesthetically and in quality.
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“I THINK IT’S IMPORTANT, TO BE PROUD OF WHAT YOU MAKE.” TLSE: More recently you won the Mercedes-Benz Design Award at the end of 2017; talk us through your winning design, the SIA chair (right). How did you come up with the brief; it’s aesthetic, it’s materiality. Where to from here, for SIA? TOM: The brief I set myself was to create a slim chair that was comfortable. I felt previous products I’d done weren’t always as slender. Quite often with these types of chairs the compromise is comfort, so that was the reason for developing an articulating backrest. The chair is shaped from solid ash timber and curves to the body’s form while using the minimum amount of timber required to achieve comfort. It’s contrasted by a minimal stainless steel frame, which supports the sculptural timber elements and allows for a stackable design. From here we are working on an outdoor version, and barstool version of the range. TLSE: On one of your more memorable projects and collaborations to date. TOM: Probably a memorable project of last year would be our collaboration with Louis Vuitton. It was fantastic to explore a bespoke collection for them with the freedom to work on pieces I might not normally do. TLSE: What’s coming up, for Tom Fereday Design. What can the design community expect to see in 2018. TOM: Next up for me is DENFAIR, where I will be presenting the SIA chair and previewing a new Desk collection.
@TOM_FEREDAY | WWW.TOMFEREDAY.COM
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ELOISE JENKINS Eloise Jenkins is a multidisciplinary freelance graphic designer, working across a range of brands from her Long Jetty Studio in NSW.
TLSE: Based on Sydney’s Central Coast, you specialise in graphic design, bringing design visions to life for your clients thought multi media facets. Where and how did your love affair with design begin? ELOISE: I was always really creative as a child, however my true love came when I started senior art in high school. I was obsessed with my visual diaries (part of the grade for marking), and did a daily collage and artwork in them. By the end of the HSC I had 5 filled diaries; I loved them so much, it was very much art made for myself. I remember feeling so proud of that. When thinking about university options it became apparent that I wanted to find a way to mix art into the everyday life, and use it as a tool to help others. This began my journey into the degree of visual communication at Billy Blue.
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TLSE: You’ve worked with large brands such as ASOS, Viktor & Rolf and Estee Lauder, as well as elevating smaller businesses with branding and concept design, such as The Flower Seekers. What’s it like, designing for companies at either end of the scale; how much do the briefs differ, and does your design approach change at all? ELOISE: Having a range in clients is one of the benefits of being freelance. It’s really important to mix it up and do things that keep you on your toes. I never want to just work for huge companies as there is something so satisfying working on small businesses. Often with larger scaled businesses there are more procedures in place and stricter deadlines which means you really have to be on the ball. In saying this, at the end of the day I feel it’s important you treat all clients the same and come through with your promises. Often it’s the small businesses who are taking a bigger risk with design, not knowing if they will get a return on a product or not.
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“DO THINGS THAT KEEP YOU ON YOUR TOES.”
TLSE: As a design studio, and a graphic design one no less, how important is it to constantly evolve and look to push the boundaries of design, in an industry where finding your niche and connecting with a unique audience is key? ELOISE: This is something I’m still learning, I’m very much in a niche for collages which I love however it’s important to keep mixing things up so you don’t get boxed into only doing collages. I often have people unaware that I do branding because they assume I do collages all day. Instagram has been such a great tool to showcase my work; I am really grateful for the opportunities that have come through it. It’s also really important to me to connect not just through Instagram, but remain as authentic as possible. , TLSE: The Eloise Jenkins Instagram page is a beautiful mirage of collage work, flatlays and flowers. How would you describe the Eloise Jenkins aesthetic? And how are you growing, evolving and experimenting with it on a daily basis as you build your brand? ELOISE: Like I said earlier it’s about mixing it up - I never want to known for just one thing. I think designers who are successful are constantly switching it up. I am still very much working on my aesthetic, I’m trying to be less serious about Instagram and have more fun with it. If I like a picture I take at the beach I want to be able to post it without worrying about my colour scheme. In saying that, I do have colours that I find attracted to mirrored in Instagram as they are in my life - for example my pink I-pad and mood board in my studio.
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TLSE: On your graphic design Girl Crush, and the ultimate brand collaboration for Eloise Jenkins? ELOISE: I love Jasmine Dowling, she is so passionate about the design industry and I have a lot of respect for how much time and effort she puts into her work. I’ve actually got a dream collaboration of mine coming out with Love Ludie in the next couple of months which I am very excited about. In saying that the absolute dream would be to do a magazine cover. I have SO many ideas when it comes to a collaged cover - I’m definitely thinking of proposing a few concepts to magazines that resonate with me. It is one of my goals for the year. @ELOISE_JENKINS | WWW.ELOISEJENKINS.COM
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TRACEY DEEP Known for her floral inspired sculptures and installations, Tracey Deep - an ex-florist - is passionate about nature. She has been commissioned and collaborated on projects for: NGV Melbourne, Dolphin Hotel Sydney, Macquarie Bank and Cult design.
TLSE: You trained as a florist, before finding your niche in floral sculptures and installations. With your sculptures sought after by stylists, collectors and interior designers alike, they utilise found objects that celebrate Australia’s native flora. Tell us a little about your background, and your love and passion for working with nature. TRACEY: I was always fascinated by nature’s magical patterns, shapes & textures. A collector of nature from a very young age stayed with me into adulthood, working in flower studios with the talented Susan Avery as a junior, & then the flower guru Alison Coates. This lead to the eventual opening of my own studio, working with nature as a Floral Sculptor through sculptural and installation art works. The compositions I develop with texture, patterns, shapes & tones in using unique Australian flora, accentuates the changing seasons. Through many years of playful interpretation, I’ve trained my eye to create compositions which celebrate nature through their look & feel. Over time I’ve found my love & passion for working with our indigenous flora, the most inspiring palate to draw inspirational concepts from; it’s a smorgasbord of incredible patterns, shapes & textures, with nourishing, creative energy.
TLSE: Described as a curator of nature, you’re known for your beautiful play with patterns, shadows and textures. How important is this concept of play and flow, when it comes to designing and working on a new project or commission? TRACEY: I’m inspired by this description “curator of nature”. It’s true I have an obsession with patterns, textures & shadows in my works; it starts from playful ideas, and sourcing the right material to inspire a lightness in the space. It always starts with the focus on inspiring material that speaks to me, creating a visual concept that draws a picture in my mind; this then becomes the blueprint for the art piece. I always relay to my clients the importance of flexibility for some improvisation, where necessary, to allow for the best possible outcome. It’s very important for me to allow my “wings to fly” for the best creative end result. TLSE: You have a way of finding beauty in things others would miss; taking the mundane and the everyday, and helping us to see things with new eyes. It’s such a beautiful contribution, to be able to do so in this world. How would you describe your work, and what emotion do you hope to evoke when people view your pieces. TRACEY: I would describe my work as play! Also it’s more environmental or sustainable art due to my
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“I FEEL SO DEEPLY, WITH EACH PIECE I CREATE.”
rescuing of materials that would otherwise end in landfill. The pieces I create tend to be fibre art, sculpture, assemblage & installation art due to my compositions, material choice & final outcome. They tend to have an energy & lightness that create a sense of calm, almost meditative, effect. I have such a deep love & passion for nature; it’s food for my soul, it nourishes my being, and this permeates through my works. I feel so deeply with each piece I create. From it’s roots to the final outcome, it’s a journey that gives me ridiculous amounts of joy; I get just as much joy from seeing people’s reactions & how people connect to my works. It’s the power of nature and the story each work seems to tell, that creates very beautiful and evocative emotions. TLSE: A typical day in the life of Tracey Deep looks like….. TRACEY: A typical day is a nature walk, yoga, & as much time as possible playing in the studio with collected materials that may have been sitting there for some time, or have just been discovered & rescued, awaiting me to create something. The joy starts with the playing, & the rest becomes a meditation of sorts.
TLSE: With your art in demand, what projects can we look forward to in the coming months? TRACEY: I am currently completing works for my exhibition, “Bloom”, at Saint Cloche gallery in Paddington. It’s a celebration of the ethereal beauty in natures poetic imagination; the delicate, playful lines, fragile whimsical shapes & striking luscious textures. I also have a special commission for Barangaroo for Naidoc week. This will be a celebration of our stunning indigenous flora in honour of our indigenous people. The focus will be on rare Australian seed pods & native bush blooms, to inspire all passers by. Also, a special commission for the new Bannisters in Port Stephens, in collaboration with architects Molnar Freeman; it’s an 8m wall with 5m height to play with, so it’s an inspiring scale to work on. @FLORALSCULPTURES
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RACHEL CASTLE Australian brand CASTLE, loves having a bit of fun. Making accessible art and beautiful bedlinen, many of their cotton bedding products are made in Australia, whilst all of their artworks are sewn, screened and painted by Rachel Castle (founder) herself. Rachel has spent the past 20 years in the homewares industry both in Australia and the UK, and currently lives in Sydney.
TLSE: Easily recognised for it’s colour and cheek, the Castle aesthetic is so distinctively well…..you! A haven for lovers of all things sunny, talk us through how it started; on your creative background, and how Castle And Things came to be. RACHEL: I spent the first 15 years of my working career in branding. My first job was at Country Road in the marketing department, and from there I moved to the UK and worked at The Conran Shop, organising all the catalogue shoots, working on all the various Conran brands. We then started an agency called The Nest and developed projects for various brands including Lancome, Michelin and British Airways. I was involved in planning the project, rather than creating product. Certainly the imagery, but not specifically the product. I loved my job and didn’t really feel any need to change direction. I hadn’t developed my own aesthetic, but was rather developing aesthetics for the companies we worked with. It wasn’t until I had my children and moved back to Australia, that I found myself at home alone with a very real urge to just ‘make things’. I fiddled around with embroidery, did a screen printing class at TAFE, started painting and finally when I had the space to do my own thing, discovered I had quite a lot to say and do. There was never a grand plan, never a plan of any kind at all really! A CURATION OF LIFE + STYLE
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I just started making things, had a little website made, drew up some bedlinen designs on a very rusty old version of Quark (what a dinosaur!) and had them made locally in Melbourne. I guess I had a LOT of experience in how to create a brand, and had to just let the creative process develop with a little bit of space, no timelines, no briefs, just making things for friends and family, and then eventually popping them online for sale to the general public. TLSE: All of your artworks are firsthand sewn, screened and painted by you. A key element of the Castle brand is the strong sense of connection customers have to you as the designer; how important is it for you, as the designer and the maker, to keep that connection alive through your work? RACHEL: It’s absolutely crucial. If I’m not doing the ‘making’ then it’s no fun for me. The running of the business is only doable for me if I can paint all afternoon. The key here is keeping it small. I have zero desire to grow a big business that I then have to ‘run’. We keep it super simple and light, we make bedlinen when we feel like, or new beach towels when a good design comes along, and new sweaters, well just when the old ones run out! The rest of the time is about the artwork. Simone is all things production, LIFESAVER, and Snaz is all things stock, so we are small and happy and manageable.
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“START SLOWLY. PERFECT YOUR CRAFT IN YOUR OWN TIME”.
TLSE: Colourful. Playful. Humorous. A sense of fun lies at the core of your brand. What do you hope the Castle customer feels when they hang up their artwork, snuggle into their bedlinen or pop on their sweaters? RACHEL: If our brand was a person I hope it would be a cheeky, little, colloquial Aussie. All sun kissed and playful and ready for a laugh. We talk a lot at work about a product’s ‘wink’. This could be a product colour, or a sweaters lingo, or even a full stop on an artwork, it has to have a little wink in it, otherwise it’s not really us. TLSE: A typical working day in the life of Rachel Castle currently looks like.…. RACHEL: Last year towards Christmas I was getting to work at around 4.30am because it was STUPIDLY busy and those hours before everyone arrived were my most productive. This first calm half of the year though, I get to work by 8, try to chunk down all the admin, spend some production time with Simone, then paint all afternoon. We have to be SUPER STRICT with my time as it gets eaten up by everything from post production on photography to shoot planning, to time with the graphic designers, to production meetings and website admin, to range planning etc and so forth so that sometimes I don’t start painting until 4pm. These are my most trying days.
TLSE: Starting Castle in 2008 and in your late 30’s, what advice - creatively and otherwise - would you have to someone looking to start their own business in 2018, taking their side hustle and creative passion, and transforming it into something profitable. And, what have been the biggest business leaps, opportunities and hurdles you’ve faced on the decade long journey? RACHEL: My advice would always be to start slowly. Perfect your craft in your own time, not for the world wide web to see, the old 10,000 hours thing is so true. I can only speak here from my own experience, and say that I never made all my little things, sewed and printed, with the intention of starting a business. I did them for myself. If that then organically turns into a business, then you’re onto something. I’ve watched Rachel Burke - @imakestagram - do exactly that. She made the most incredible glitter clothing, DIE IT’S SO GOOD, in her home time because she just itched to do it. Over time she gained traction and followers, and now she’s just switched to doing it full time. She did it not for the business, but for the love of her craft. The gut love you have for your craft, your ‘thing’, is what gives you the stamina to build your business. @RACHELCASTLEANDTHINGS | WWW.CASTLEANDTHINGS.COM.AU
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IMOGENE ROACHE Imogene Roache is a leading Sydney based food and still-life stylist with a diverse portfolio spanning 9 years of industry expertise. Her portfolio boasts work for high profile clients including David Jones, Woolworths, Chobani Yogurt, Santa Vittoria, Pizza Hut and Westfield Shopping Centres, nestled amongst a range of artistic endeavours pursued around her native Sydney. Imogene provides art direction and styling services for both national and international commissions.
TLSE: You’re recognised as one of Sydney’s leading food and still-life stylists, with a diverse portfolio spanning 9 years of industry expertise. Working with aspirational Australian food and interior publications - such as Belle Magazine, Real Living, Marie Claire and House & Garden (where you remained as in-house stylist for 4 years)- what drew you to styling, and how did you get your career start? IMOGENE:I have a vivid memory as I was preparing to finish up at high school, flicking through my favourite magazine at the time, and feeling intrigued by what the ‘Stylist’ role was that was listed under each photoshoot. I contacted the magazine for an internship, and from that moment, my love of styling began. I assisted in fashion styling at the beginning, then transitioned into interiors a couple of years later, where I landed a permanent role as in-house Stylist for House & Garden Magazine. Now, 8yrs on, I freelance as a food and still-life stylist.
I’ve always been drawn to every aspect of styling, from the initial shoot idea, visualising composition and colours, sourcing beautiful props, to the final stylist’s finesse on set. I still get excited over the perfect ribbon curl, napkin fold, or runny egg yolk! I feel lucky to have a creative eye that allows me to inject beauty into my everyday job. TLSE: The best experience anyone can gain to become a stylist, is through assisting. What was assistant styling like for so many years, what did you learn, and what was it like taking the leap and making the transition into freelancing full time? IMOGENE: To me, styling is all about having a creative eye, a trust in your own instincts mixed with hard work and forward-thinking. I am forever grateful for my many years assisting top stylists in each field, and the experience I gained is second to none.
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Nothing beats being able to shadow a stylist throughout the process, to really learn how shoots come together, and how to deal with issues that arise and solve them quickly and calmly- I feel this is a reflection of the attitude I have towards the usual shoot stresses that have to be dealt with all too often! The time felt right when I knew I had gained all that I could from my position at the magazine, and I felt like I had a clear direction for the career path I wanted, which gave me no hesitation taking the leap into freelancing. I am still learning everyday, but there is a sense of achievement that comes with freelancing and managing your own business, which continues to be an inspiration for me. TLSE:On your proudest career achievement so far? And some of your favourite shoots to date? IMOGENE: I feel like I have so much ahead of me, still being in my 20’s, but in saying this I feel proud of what I’ve achieved so far in my career. I have a good list of mostly regular clients, who trust me in what I do, and this makes me feel proud that I’m capable to manage myself as a business. Last year I styled a number of television commercials for a big food brand which was something I’d always wanted to experience, so I’ve felt quite lucky that the opportunities have always been there for me. The shoots I style for linen brand InBed are always a favourite- the combination of having creative freedom, a similar aesthetic, and working alongside such a humble team is a dream. TLSE: How would you describe your own personal style. What is your home like, how do you approach the styling of it, and what are some of your favourite objects? IMOGENE: Japan is one of my favourite countries, so my style is very influenced by the many times I’ve travelled there. As I get older, my priorities have
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“WORK HARD IN EVERY WAY POSSIBLE”. shifted and I find myself pairing back, and getting excited over beautiful yet practical objects. I think when you have a job where you are surrounded by so many props all day, it’s nice to live in a home that feels calm and uncluttered. A pair of Marcel Breuer Wassily chairs are one of my favourite items in the house. My collection of modern Japanese ceramics and cutlery, and a two-tone chopping board that was hand made by a friend, are all objects also close to my heart. I am minimal and considered in the styling of my home, yet I can’t help but love a little bit of kitsch. TLSE: The best advice you can share for people wanting to get into styling, and the best advice you’ve ever received. IMOGENE: The word ‘Stylist’ gets thrown around so often these days, however I believe a well trained stylist is someone with qualities beyond being able to create a pretty picture. Work hard in every way possible, learn to trust your instinct and think quickly, while staying humble and true to yourself. One of the Stylists I assisted gave me some advice that I’ve kept close to me still to this day- an assistant should have already thought of what the stylist is about to think. Now, I find myself using this advice towards clientsbefore they’ve even thought of a gold spoon, I have it in 3 different shapes, and even though no food garnish has been briefed, that extra sprinkle is exactly what they wanted but just didn’t know yet.
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TLSE: Where do you turn for inspiration; who are your style heroes and why; what books are on your coffee table? Your favourite place to escape to and be influenced? IMOGENE: I am always influenced by colour, especially unusual tones. My mum is extremely creative and loves nature, so I feel very inspired by her most of the time- she will always find beauty in an otherwise overlooked object. The work of Food Stylist Victoria Granof is forever inspiring to me- she is queen of perfectly imperfect. ‘Bread is Gold’ by chef Massimo Bottura is such a beautifully designed book. I could look at it everyday, I’m constantly cooking from the Supernormal cookbook- something Japanese inspired, which is of course my favourite place to escape. @IMOGENEROACHE | WWW.IMOGENEROACHE.COM.AU
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QUERCUS & CO Quercus & Co. is a boutique wallpaper and fabric design company based in Sydney, Australia. Launched in 2012 by Adam Jones, below he shares with us his colourful journey with design and pattern.
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TLSE: Your colourful story begins in London, where you studied Textile Art before coming to Sydney and working at Porters Paints as a decorative painter and colourist; you then went on to teach Colour and Design at UTS, before going on to co-found Spirit Level - a landscape design company. What was behind the decision in you then taking a leap and launching something new, with Quercus & Co in 2012? ADAM: I have always been fascinated with pattern; growing up in the 70s it was everywhere. I was fortunate to have a brilliant craft teacher at school who taught me how to spin wool and weave fabric as a teenager. The construction of pattern design is not dissimilar to woven fabric, it’s the repetition and interlocking quality that interests me most. The landscape design company was a side-step for me, I absolutely love plants and horticulture and with my then partner Hugh Main, we joined forces as Spirit Level. I had actually written a business plan before that point for a wallpaper company but it took some years for the idea to fully form and for the right time to jump. I naively thought I could continue with both businesses for a while but of course that was ridiculous. The intensity of starting a new business is staggering and I am SO happy to be 6 years down the track with many lessons under my belt.
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TLSE: Your love of colour, patterns and texture are evident in the designs of Quercus & Co. Can you impart a little on your creative process - how does it begin, where do you find inspiration, and what do you hope to convey in each collection? ADAM: I’m inspired by so many things, I have a collection of books and magazines from over the years - mostly world textiles, wallpaper, pattern books. With the entire internet to research, now it’s a matter of rejecting ideas as there are too many. Concepts are collected, collaged together, hand-drawn or painted, and finally reconstructed into digital files. It’s a long process and not every design is released if it’s not working as a finished product. TLSE: As designers, we all have that one project which required us to push ourselves that little bit further and dig a little deeper into our creative side. For good (or for bad!), what’s been this memorable collection for you and Quercus? ADAM: The Suketchi Collection released last year has been well received. I’m excited that people love it and hope it’s a slow burner. The previous year, when I was starting out with ideas for that collection, was politically turbulent with Brexit and Trump and all that. You may not think a pattern designer would be affected by such things, but I was like ‘how can I make pretty patterns with all this going on!’.
QUERCUS&CO
THEDESIGNEDITION
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THE JUNE ‘18 ISSUE
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“YOU NEED TO FIND SOMETHING YOU LOVE, AND WILL FALL MORE IN LOVE WITH OVER TIME”.
THEDESIGNEDITION
QUERCUS&CO
So the initial thought process came from how I was feeling (and thought other people may be feeling). What followed was Tempest, a tumultuous storm, and Cloudburst, torrential rain. Then came the more optimistic Starlit, a flock of lucky cranes flying in a starry night and Halcyon, curly clouds floating across the sky. I felt the patterns were able to temper the external issues, and still have an aesthetic appeal. How a pattern or colour feels and what that conveys to another person, is of the utmost importance when designing a collection. TLSE: For those hesitant - and there a few of us - to indulge and introduce wallpaper into our homes, what are your suggestions when it comes to selecting the right print for the right room? ADAM: Wallpaper is like art. You need to find something you love and will fall more in love with over time. There are so many options and every style is possible. If you like the idea of using wallpaper at home, it does matter where you install it. Wallpaper works brilliantly behind things - the bed, the TV wall, bookshelves, desks or with pictures on the wall up a hallway. It also looks great in nooks or small rooms like bathrooms, studies or imagine a gorgeous walk-in robe or pantry decorated beautifully. It takes a strong personality and a great eye to use wallpaper in an entire room or home. Think of introducing small patterned elements that complement the colours and furnishings you already have. TLSE: What’s next, for Quercus & Co? ADAM: A new updated Print Shop is launching any moment now. We have a whole range of new designs busting to get out there. A couple of new wallpaper and fabric patterns shortly after. This year is about consolidating and making stronger the business as it is. We’re doing very well with our agents in the US, Canada and the UK, however we’re not taking the risk of expanding further at this stage. Small steps with confidence!
@QUERCUSANDCO | WWW.QUERCUSANDCO.COM
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THE JUNE ‘18 ISSUE
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KATLOGAN
THEDESIGNEDITION
KAT LOGAN Since 2009, Buttercream Bakery has been baking and delivering bespoke cakes, cupcakes, cake pops & cookies around Sydney. In 2015, the brother and sister duo set up their small boutique cake studio in the creative hub of Precinct 75, St Peters. Buttercream Bakery specialise in buttercream creations – most notably their signature hand painted buttercream cakes.
TLSE: A graphic designer by trade, your beautiful freehand cake creations have taken the art form of cakes to new levels. Having established a name for creating edible masterpieces, how did the Buttercream story begin? More importantly - how did you go from playing with pens and paper, to playing with cake and icing ! KAT: Buttercream was born out of my childhood love for baking and creating, and my brother’s (BB cofounder) interest in business and entrepreneurship. Although I pursued a career as a graphic designer, baking was never far from my mind, I would constantly bake for family, friends, co-workers anytime there was an occasion for it. I had learnt how to bake from my aunty as a child and I would always take family recipes and put my own twist on it whether it was in the ingredients or in the design, some were amazing and some were disastrous! In 2009 there were a couple of online bakeries popping up that were quite different from the traditional bakeries you would often see, so my brother and I decided to take a chance and pursue our own business. It was a relatively low risk start up as our first commercial kitchen was built in our parents garage and our storefront was just our website which, thanks to my graphic design background, I was able to design and run myself.
TLSE: You’ve turned your cakes into canvases, using techniques now synonymous with the Buttercream name. Where does the inspiration for your cakes come from? KAT: Not to sound cliche but I find inspiration can come from anything and everything! My most recent “still life” series has been inspired by the impressionist period in particular works by Renoir and Monet. The colours I use will usually reflect the current fashion - so for example, last season we had a lot of cakes that were in the blush palette. And if I’m ever lacking in inspiration, Pinterest will always save me! TLSE: When Buttercream moved into it’s first brick and mortar shop front, you had a popular cafe alongside it. What was the breaking point that made you and your brother, decide to shut down the cafe to focus solely on cakes? And how important is it for businesses to evolve and adapt, as well as staying true to the core of their vision? KAT: Our main reason for shutting down our cafe was that there was a disconnect between our online profile and our shopfront. Although the cafe was doing well we felt that ultimately it wasn’t taking us in the right direction we wanted our brand to go. I think it’s extremely important to constantly evolve and adapt as a business because everything around us is constantly changing, especially with how people are connected these days through social media - food trends can come and go overnight so you need to stay active to keep up. I believe you should always make sure your actions align with your bigger picture. Stay true to your brand story, that’s how you’ll be able to build a loyal customer base. In our case, the core of Buttercream is creating artistic one-of-a-kind cakes, so it made more sense for us to have a cake studio that focused solely on cakes and provided people with a quality customer experience - from their first consultation, to their cake tasting, and up until their cake is delivered to their event.
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THE JUNE ‘18 ISSUE
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“ALWAYS MAKE SURE YOUR ACTIONS, ALIGN WITH YOUR BIGGER BRAND PICTURE”.
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KATLOGAN
THEDESIGNEDITION
TLSE: As a cake artist, who would you love to collaborate with one day ? KAT: My dream collaboration would be with Christina Tosi from Milk Bar. I’m a huge fan of her work and how she built her empire through her imaginative takes on classic desserts. TLSE: On your favourite cake project to date: KAT: So far it has to be my “Peacock” design. The combination of colours, textures and composition was a lot to work on for one piece. Plus it’s such a recognisable pattern that people would easily see if it didn’t look right. I’ve been lucky enough to be able to reimagine it a few times for several customers, so I get to improve it every time! TLSE: A ‘typical’ day for Kat Logan looks like…… KAT: I start the day with a big cup of coffee! My first job is to post something on our social media channels as this is our biggest form of communication with our customers, and it has been by far our best marketing tool - I’ll of course scroll through the feeds to see what’s trending today! Then head to the local grocery store or growers market to pick up any fresh ingredients we need for the day (most of our dry goods are delivered in bulk). I get in to the studio and go over the orders for the day with my brother, who takes care of the sales, and then I’ll set the day up for the rest of the team to see who needs to be on what tasks. From Monday - Thursday we do the majority of our baking, and prepare any custom decorations for the cakes. Then Thursday - Saturday is when we complete the finishings on the cakes as most of our customer events take place over these days. TLSE: What are your goals and dreams for the future of Buttercream. Where would you like to see the business head? KAT: We would like to to see Buttercream recognised as a leader in the cake industry and to have our team grow to include other cake artists with different styles. We are also looking to expand into the digital world through ebooks and our YouTube channel which we are currently filming, this way we can connect with our overseas audience. Most importantly, we hope to build a long lasting business and an honest brand that our customers love!
@BUTTERCREAM_BAKERY | WWW.BUTTERCREAM.COM.AU
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THE JUNE ‘18 ISSUE
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EMILY LAUREN EMILY LAUREN is the product and pride of a love for refined style, modern design and minimal typography.
TLSE: With your boutique graphic design studio emerging from - interestingly - an architectural background, how did your love affair with visual communication begin? EMILY: From a very early age, I have always been obsessed with style and presentation. I knew I wanted to pursue a path in the design field, but I just couldn’t take my pick so I dabbled in a few areas until I found the perfect fit. During my architecture degree I was able to get a taste of graphic design and visual communication through the programs we used and the way we presented our designs and portfolios. As much as I was fascinated by architecture, it was more the communication of it that resonated with me most. It was at this point that I discovered my passion for visual communication, typography and design and would always draw on these elements in my projects. TLSE: Tell us more, about the Emily behind EMILY LAUREN. What inspires you; who are the muses you look to; what fuels your creative side. EMILY: I’m constantly exposed to inspiration. I always try to start my day doing something that boots my creativity into gear. Whether it be scrolling through Pinterest, flicking through design magazines, or reading my go-to blogs, I find it’s a great way to get in the right mindset before starting out the day.
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I love modern art and architecture, simplistic forms, travelling and exploring different cultures. I’m particularly drawn to the likes of Picasso, Torres Garcia, Kandinsky, and pieces from certain movements such as Cubism, Expressionism, and the De Stijl movement which all bare a dialogue between art and architecture, and I like to think this plays a role in inspiring some of the work I produce. My creative flair nods to the places I’ve scaled across the globe. TLSE: Recommended by The LANE (Australian wedding and lifestyle publication), EMILY LAUREN is proving a destination for bespoke wedding invites. How special is it (and how is the sense of responsibility!), to work on projects so intimately connected to one of the most memorable days of a person’s life? EMILY: I feel it is one of the greatest honours - in this type of business - when a couple entrusts you with creating pieces for their special day. Call me cliche but I really do love weddings, it’s one of the most magical moments in life and it’s an absolute privilege to share this journey with my clients. Each have their own unique story which I try to bring to life through my designs, so it makes the whole experience a lot more personal. I have been lucky enough to work with really amazing couples who find their way to me because their style aligns with my own. The moment you present your work to them and they fall in love with what you have created is one of the most rewarding feelings you can experience!
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THEDESIGNEDITION
EMILYLAUREN
“TO BUDDING DESIGNERS... TAKE THE LEAP OF FAITH”. TLSE: An advocator for the power of negative space, in 5 words how would you describe the EMILY LAUREN aesthetic. EMILY: Minimal, luxurious, timeless, textured, modern. TLSE: In an increasingly saturated market, finding your niche is key. How do you set yourself apart from competitors, and stand out from the crowd? EMILY: With the ever-growing influence of social media and the many platforms where your work can be shared and published, it can be very hard to establish your own ‘niche’. You run the risk of your work being replicated, or even worse - being accused of replicating someone elses work. This is something I struggled with at the beginning, as well as constantly comparing my work to the standards of others. So it’s all about finding that balance, appreciating the work of your creative peers and competitors, but staying true to your creative style. Striving for that unique language that only your designs can speak, and that’s what ultimately draws in the clients.
TLSE: How invaluable was it to find mentors in the early phases of starting EMILY LAUREN? What advice can you impart for other designers looking to follow their creative stirrings and turn them into a business? EMILY: This was extremely valuable! Although I didn’t have any mentors in my field specifically, I turned to several mentors from the small business world and at all different scales. Some who had already established their name in the public eye, and others on the way. Starting a small business can be tough and challenging to say the least, and it can get quite lonely working for yourself. Having these people to turn to for advice or simply reading about the ways they persevered through their road blocks and stresses, made it feel a whole lot more normal and less isolating. There were many times I doubted if what I was doing was the right thing, and I guess that just comes naturally when you turn a passion into a career, so having these resources to reach out when times were tough were super beneficial to me. To other budding designers out there, I would highly recommend taking the leap of faith. At the beginning it’s daunting, and be prepared to feel over-worked and under-paid, however once you can work out your own rhythm, how to charge correctly and put in the necessary hours required to achieve your goals successfully, you will find it’s the most overwhelming feeling of satisfaction. @EMILYLAUREN.AU | WWW.EMILYLAUREN.COM.AU
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THE JUNE ‘18 ISSUE
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EVIE GROUP Established by Alex Gilmour and Dominic Chong in 2010, Evie Group consists of Australian designed homewares, lighting & furniture, with a Sydney based showroom & studio. EVIE GROUP specialises in product design, graphic design, branding & presentation design.
TLSE: The story of how Evie Group came to be, started at UTS where you (Alex) and Dominic first met whilst studying industrial design. In 2010, the business was formed, with your first two homewares ranges catching the attention of Marc Newson, winning you an internship with Marc, as well as winning you the 2010 Quanta SOYA design award. Eight years on, you’re now a growing design consultancy, offering product and graphic design services, with your Balmain showroom retailing the Evie design collection. You’ve done a lot, in eight years! Can you tell us a little more on the Evie Group. What’s it been like, to have built the brand up over over time, to the point where it is now a household name in Australian design? ALEX: Evie Group started when I left my full time job to pursue a passion of designing my own things. We both worked around the clock in part time jobs, freelance designing, as well as on Evie Group for two solid years where product design was the initial main focus for the company.
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This grew with pop up shops, winning a couple of design competitions (SOYA 2010, IDEA 2012, Bombay Sapphire Finalist 2012) and being represented by retailers and press locally and internationally. Around this time the business began to shift with the nature of new client work attributed to contacts in our previous design work. This saw the Evie Group transition into a multidisciplinary product & graphic design studio. With one baby thrown in the mix, we opened up a studio/showroom in Balmain East in 2014, creating a permanent home for the products on display for clients and trade to view, as well as an office space for client meetings. Following this, the graphic design side of the business has really grown along with referrals from existing clients. Recently we have split products and services over two websites (www.graphics.eviegroup.com and www.eviegroup.com) to make this less confusing for clients & customers. This now showcases a sample portfolio of the work/services we provide and an online store with information and imagery for the products. With another baby thrown into the chaos last year, our product design range has slowed these last couple of years, but we have a few pieces coming out later this year, so stand by.....
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EVIEGROUP
THEDESIGNEDITION
“WORK HARD, BE INSPIRED AND GET CREATIVE”. TLSE: Your famous Spun pendant (left) was a finalist at the prestigious Bombay Sapphire Design Discovery Awards in 2011. Where did inspiration come from for the unique design, and how flexible did you have to be during the design process so that final product was an evolved iteration of the initial brief? ALEX:The inspiration for the spun lamp came from a spinning top. The original design was an oversized floor lamp made from turned wood with a glass shade, hinting the idea of play and nostalgia as a child. Due to the complexity of the design and tolerance issues with manufacturing from timber, the design shifted to a metal body to house the glass shade. From here, it also evolved into 3 sizes and options to use as a floor / table lamp & pendant light, as well as options of finishes in silver, gold and rose gold. TLSE: To designers looking to follow their creative dreams, be it in product, graphics or fashion, what piece of advice would you give to inspire creativity; and what’s been the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? ALEX: It is important to learn as much as possible from as many people you can, both from a design as well as a business perspective. Once you reach a certain level of skills and quality, don’t under value your work. Work hard, be inspired, get creative and enjoy what you do.
TLSE: How would you describe the Evie aesthetic? And what is the most popular Evie product? ALEX: I would say our style would be minimalist simplicity. We use subtle details and strip everything right back to have clean simple products. Pieces are popular for different things, the Hex boxes are always a top selling gift, but the Oliver planters and Oliver marble side tables seem to be the biggest sellers right now both to trade and to the public. These also sell well to our overseas customers. TLSE: How do you continue to stay inspired; what media sources, designers or experiences do you turn to when working on a new project? ALEX: We keep up to date with news and trends through blogs, design sites, magazines, trade fairs and talks/events. We are often inspired by a material or form or a need of our own, and that generally sparks the next design project TLSE: A day in the Evie Studio looks like….. ALEX: No two days are the same, which is what we like! Because we operate as a multidisciplinary studio, we cover a wide range of projects and outputs within product and graphic design. This may include designing a custom furniture piece for someone’s home, or the creation of our own product range. It could be creating new company branding and guidelines, designing an engaging client pitch to win an account, or art direction and creative content for event presentations, just to note a little of what we do. @EVIEGROUP | WWW.EVIEGROUP.COM
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THESEEKSOCIETY
THEDESIGNEDITION
THE SEEK SOCIETY The Seek Society is a community based, earth conscious business specialising in quality camping and outdoor essentials. It was founded by Charity Turner and Phoebe Cox in 2014.
TLSE: How did your adventures with wife and business partner, Phoebe, inspire you to design and manufacture your own range of quality camping and outdoor products? CHARITY: The last few years have been a long but fabulous road for my wife Phoebe and I. We first had the vision of The Seek Society not long after we met in 2013, I had been writing music and running expedition companies in the North West of Australia for the last decade and Phoebe was an environmentalist for the NSW Government. We were both feeling a little disenfranchised with the day to day and craved change. We were passionate about the environment, and loved adventuring in the outdoors. So we packed up our Defender and went traveling around Australia and then abroad. We experienced so many epic remote locations but were perplexed when we witnessed so many people camping out in cheap plastic tents and utilising other fast fashion camping wares that would barely last their journey. These adventures inspired us to design and manufacture our own timeless, quality camping and outdoor products that may encourage others, even those who don’t like being outside, to enjoy nature and not destroy it in the process.
TLSE: You utilise sustainable materials that are built to last, as opposed to plastic and harmful fibres that have a short life span and are detrimental to the environment. At the heart of The Seek Society lies an ethos in respecting the Earth that we have, and a belief that we can all make a difference. As a designer, how important is the sense of responsibility for you (and other design businesses) to manage your sustainable footprint? CHARITY: For Phoebe and I it is at the core of who we are as people, and how and what we do daily, so the brand and our quality products are purely an extension of that. Managing your personal footprint as well as your business is a massive responsibility and one that should be taken seriously to ensure this beautiful planet is around for future generations. We believe conscious design, production and consumerism is in a revolution, a return back to slow fashion and sustainability; people genuinely want to make a difference, and we want to help them in that pursuit.
… And so, The Seek Society was born.
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TLSE: You left a full time job and together with Phoebe, used your life savings to get The Seek Society up and running. What did it feel like to take that gamble, and when did you realise that the gamble was worth it? CHARITY: I knew that to launch Seek we’d need to put everything on the line as it would take all I had, my energy, dedication and finances, to effectively launch this start up (particularly in a flailing industry that had ironically been diluted with so much fast fashioned disposable goods). It was a bold decision for us to make, but the risk of being complacent and doing what was comfortable felt like a greater risk in the long term than not following my heart. When we get feedback from people saying that we’ve inspired them to start camping, or perhaps going on a weekend adventure, spending more time out in nature or being more respectful of the environment on their travels, all of that bigger picture stuff makes the gamble truly worth it. The start up phase isn’t easy, and not many people talk about that, but not a day passes by that we are not truly grateful for the opportunities that have come, the people that love and support what we do and those that believe enough in the Seek philosophy and purchase responsibly.
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TLSE: The Seek Society has an ‘Earth Aware’ section of the business, linking your customers and the community in with NFP’s aligned with your philosophy. Can you expand more on this. CHARITY: The Seek Society has a philosophy, one that is shared by a great community of earth appreciators across the globe. It is simple, we are merely custodians of this planet for future generations to come.
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As such, the more we care for, nurture and protect the earth daily the more earth aware we become. There are so many fabulous organisations, not for profits and individuals flying the earth aware flag out there. We want to help connect The Seekers to these organisations, and help the broader community become further educated and involved with causes they care most about. We believe it’s important as a brand to connect all the dots, and make this information and education readily accessible, and assist in providing practical ways to help affect change. TLSE: Where to from here, for The Seek Society? What new products, projects and environmental education do you have in store for your audience? CHARITY: The next 12 months we have some super exciting things in store for Seek. We’ll be teaming up with some amazing organisations to host social purpose festivals, relaunching our camp rug range made from 100% post industrial and post consumer recycled cotton as well as launching our durable bag range and some other earth conscious products. There’s also some secret squirrel stuff that I can’t speak about just yet that we are pretty thrilled about! We’re excited to keep inspiring people to get back to nature and to assist them in purchasing responsibly for their time in the outdoors. @THESEEKSOCIETY | WWW.THESEEKSOCIETY.COM
THESEEKSOCIETY
THEDESIGNEDITION
“WE BELIEVE CONSCIOUS DESIGN, IS IN A REVOLUTION”.
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JAM FACTORY JamFactory’s South Australian, purpose-built studios for ceramics, glass, furniture and metal design provide skills and business training for artists and designers, through their rigorous two-year Associate training program. Their exhibition and retail spaces showcase contemporary Australian craft, and offer a wide range of high quality and collectable art and design.
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TLSE: A bit of an institution in the design scene, JamFactory is a unique not-for-profit that supports and promotes outstanding design and craftsmanship. Supported by the South Australian Government, Jam is globally recognised as a centre for excellence, with your purpose-built studios for ceramics, glass, furniture and metal design providing skills and business training for artists and designers through your coveted two-year Associate training program. Can you talk us through the history of the JamFactory, and how it came to be. JF: JamFactory is certainly a South Australian institution. It was established in 1973 by South Australia’s visionary premier at the time – Don Dunstan, who was re-invigorating the state with new cultural institutions. Originally located in an old jam factory in the suburbs of Adelaide, the organisation was established to be a leader in its field, specifically focusing on the craft and design sector and providing support for designer/makers. Forty-five years later and JamFactory is still the leading organisation of its type in Australia, and continues to support and promote contemporary craft and design. Through our training program, studios, galleries and shops we have nurtured the careers of hundreds of artists, craftspeople and designers – many of whom are now recognised as national and international leaders in their fields. JamFactory is now located in the Adelaide city centre and opened a second facility in the Barossa Valley in 2013.
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TLSE: Jam is many things! You are part-workshop, part-retail store, part-gallery and part-art school. All of these come together under your dedication to champion designers and creatives. How important is it to have set-ups like Jam, that foster and support emerging talent in the Australian design scene? JF: We definitely are many things! – that is one of the unique aspects of JamFactory. We combine an extensive exhibition program and high quality retail store with on-site studios in four different media providing a two-year training program as well public workshops, an artist in residency program, studios for hire, a national exhibition touring program, awards program and much more! It is hugely important for the craft and design sector to have organisations that support emerging talent. It is difficult to start and maintain a craft/design practice and having access to mentoring, training, exhibition, marketing and sales opportunities is crucial. We work with other like-minded organisations across Australia like Craft Victoria, Craft ACT, Australian Design Centre, Koskela, Design Tasmania and many more, to promote craft and design and support Australian designer/makers.
JAMFACTORY
THEDESIGNEDITION
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IN CONVERSATION WITH
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“IT IS HUGELY IMPORTANT FOR THE DESIGN SECTOR, TO HAVE ORGANISATIONS THAT SUPPORT EMERGING TALENT”. TLSE:What is Jam currently exhibiting; and what can we look forward to from your current Associates this year? JF: JamFactory has two locations - one in the city centre of Adelaide and one at Seppeltsfield in the beautiful Barossa Valley. Our current exhibition in Adelaide, on show until the 8th July, is the FUSE Glass Prize, an exhibition of 18 finalists from across Australia and New Zealand who have been selected for the biennial FUSE Glass Prize – Australasia’s richest prize for glass. In our Seppeltsfield gallery we are exhibiting Thinking Outside until 9 July – a collection of Australian furniture, ceramics and textiles that alludes to the outdoors, from the natural world to the dense urban scape. Our Associates are constantly working on new projects and exhibitions. Associates completing their two year training program work towards their final major exhibition, Generate, which occurs in December of each year and is showcased at both JamFactory locations. Six of our current Associates have also been selected to feature in Front / Centre at DENFAIR in Melbourne from 14 – 16 June. Front / Centre showcases the best emerging craft and design practitioners to an audience of design professional, suppliers, retailers and national and international media – a great opportunity for our Associates to showcase their practice!
A CURATION OF LIFE + STYLE
TLSE: Run through a typical week in the life of a Jam Associate. What do they study, how do they split their time between pursuing their own creative projects, and working to design under the Jam label. JF: Each of the studios run somewhat differently, but at the core is high level skills and business training for artists, craftspeople and designers.
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Associates spend their time throughout the week working on collaborative studio/JamFactory projects – this could be designing, developing and producing pieces for JamFactory’s product or furniture collection, liaising with clients on the design and manufacture of commissions, or participating in day to day maintenance of the studio facilities. Associates are also allocated time to work on their own projects – developing new work for sale through the retail shop and designing work for potential exhibition at JamFactory or other institutions across Australia. Amazing opportunities like international scholarships and residencies are available to Associates throughout their two year program as well as opportunities to learn from the best – with workshops conducted by leading Australian and international designers. The program also provides practical training seminars on marketing, social media, business, and grant. TLSE: Advice for anyone looking to train under the Jam name. JF: Associates have usually completed tertiary level study in one of the four studio areas or a closely related art or design discipline prior to attending JamFactory. We accept applications for the two year training program by the 31st August each year. If you are interested in applying for the program your best bet is to contact the Creative Director of the studio you are interested in to have a chat about the program, what you are hoping to achieve and to ask any questions. Check out the JamFactory website to find out more! @JAMFACTORYAU | WWW.JAMFACTORY.COM.AU
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