Category: News

To coincide with the opening of the Olympic Games in Tokyo this month, we are celebrating Japanese excellence across art, design, technology and culture. Japanese craftsmanship is woven into the fabric of everyday life, and during London Craft Week there will be opportunities to discover the master artisans who are keeping ancient techniques alive – and reinventing them too. Read on to explore our selection of highlights from this year’s programme of events…

Takumi Townhouse
Image credit: Will Barker, The London Blacksmith

The ancient Japanese concept of ‘Takumi’, meaning ‘artisan’, embodies a blend of skill and spirit. A Takumi master craftsman has a remarkable depth and breadth of knowledge, testament to years of dedicated learning. London Craft Week’s Takumi Townhouse, in association with Lexus, will bring together masters artisans working across the disciplines of leather, glass, metal, wood and paper. Taking inspiration from Lexus’s In Search of Takumi, a series of films focussing on highly skilled artisans in the UK, including Peter Layton, Sally Burnett, Otis Ingrams and Will Barker the exhibition will showcase their work, with pieces commissioned by Lexus as well as new work from other distinguished makers.

Image: Lexus

Kasama Potters

Sixty miles from Tokyo, the town of Kasama exists at the point where the urban sprawl gives way to mountains and rice fields. A key supplier of ceramics to Tokyo for centuries, the town has become an established creative retreat and is a vital location for a new wave of emerging Japanese ceramicists. During London Craft Week, a collective of 34 of the region’s Potters will showcase a myriad of different ceramic techniques and styles that embody a spirit of freedom and individual expression.

Image: Mishio Suzuki/ Wagumi

Saori Kunihiro

For artist and jewellery designer Saori Kunihiro, calligraphy involves rubbing the ink, calming the mind, and then concentrating on each stroke to write the characters. Unlike a pen, calligraphy with a brush means you can control the thickness of the letters by the strength of the push, the speed of the movement and the inclination of the brush. Saori will be leading an online calligraphy masterclass during the festival from her home in Kyoto, guiding participants through the tools and techniques of this ancient art form.

Image: Saori Kunihiro

Sghr

From their beginnings in Tokyo in 1932, the artisans at sghr have applied traditional Japanese design techniques to create handmade glassware that expresses the natural beauty of the medium. With a reputation as one of Japan’s finest craft glass studios, during London Craft Week there’ll be an opportunity to experience sghr’s glassware first hand at a sake tasting and cocktail making workshop at Pantechnicon in Belgravia, a space that brings together food, drink, design and craftsmanship from Japan and the Nordics.

Image: sghr

Japan House

Japan’s Sakai City is famed for its hand-forged knives which boast around 600 years of history and are favoured by many chefs. For London Craft Week, Japan House presents a virtual trip to Sakai City. Meet the master craftspeople making Sakai forged knives, and discover the centuries-old craftsmanship that gives the knives the exceptional sharpness and durability for which they are renowned. During the festival, there will also be a chance to explore another ancient Japanese craft with jewellery designer Okamoto Naho. Raden is a technique involving the inlaying of precious mother-of-pearl into lacquer or wood, and has been used in Japan since the Nara period (710-794 CE).

Image: Japan House

The London Craft Week 2021 programme launches on Wednesday 25 August. Follow us @londoncraftweek to receive the latest updates.

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Featured Image: Lexus

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Now in its 36th year, New Designers provides a unique platform for fresh design talent to connect with design educators, professionals and consumers for creative exchange and collaboration. Championing the future of design, the show connects talented design graduates with businesses looking to bring in new design thinking; buyers looking to source the most innovative craft and design; and aspiring students wanting to explore the range of design courses available. 

Here at London Craft Week, we’ve put together an edit of our favourite designs from this year’s winners…

Colour In Design Award: Colour In Design Award: Week 1 Disciplines
Al Bates, Curious while Calm, Textiles, Edinburgh College of Art   

Curious while Calm was created using influence from the outside world. In her research Al Bates found that the majority of people find that interaction with nature helps significantly to reduce their anxiety, especially during the pandemic where the outside world was our only escape from the confinement of home. Leading her to design a high-end interiors collection for those who care for quality and sustainably sourced materials.

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John Lewis & Partners: The John Lewis & Partners Award for Design and Innovation: Week 1 Disciplines
Anna Burke, A Garden of One’s Own, Textiles Design & Innovation, Loughborough University

This project explores the importance of outdoor space and how the garden surrounding Anna Burke’s home, as well as National Trust gardens that we have been granted access to over the past year, have provided her with inspiration and solace. She aims to celebrate the garden and the outdoors, creating bold and colourful interior print designs with an abstract nature, inspired by the work of the Bloomsbury Group at Charleston House and the charming and unique interiors they have created there.

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Habitat: The Habitat Future Design Award: Textiles & Surface Pattern Design
Andrea Gonzales, BALIKBAYAN, Textile Design, Birmingham City University  

This collection of woven jacquard and printed fabrics for interiors capture the essence of Andrea Gonzales’ Filipino culture, with a particular focus on the textile traditions. Certain provinces in the Philippines are known for their wooden cut carving which is reflected through the use of lino printing. The distinctive patterns have been translated into woven jacquard designs to create a coordinating series of fabrics that celebrate the craftsmanship of weaving that is deeply rooted in the Filipino culture.

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Sanderson Design Group: Sanderson Design Group Award
Robyn Gauld, The End of the Silk Road, Design for Printed Textiles, Heriot-Watt University

The End of the Silk Road is an interior print collection of digitally printed fabrics and hard surfaces inspired by East Asia. It aims to convey feelings of balance and serenity. Robyn Gauld was inspired by Stefan Ormenison, the founder of ‘Mind the Gap’ who creates instantly recognisable and iconic art, architecture and culturally inspired designs of East Asia.

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Thrown: Thrown Contemporary Ceramics Award
Cicely Peers, The St Davids Collection, 3D Design, Manchester Metropolitan University

The St Davids Collection: Cicely Peers has long had an interest in architectural materials and detailing. The patterning and clarity of the designs of the medieval encaustic floor tiles in St Davids Cathedral, Wales served as the inspiration for this collection. Cicely’s goal was to embrace the creative spirit of these tiles and, through the use of 21st century processes, create three-dimensional pattern pieces.

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Discover the full list of 2021 New Designers Winners at newdesigners.com/awards. 

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As holiday bookings remain uncertain, we asked LCW 2021 partners to share with us cultural highlights and creative inspirations from their most-loved summer destinations. From the lagoons of Venice to the unspoiled beauty of Scotland’s Outer Hebrides, enjoy vicariously or use to plan those long-awaited travels. Plus, we’ve rounded up our selection of the best exhibitions to visit across the UK this month, and our friends at Eataly have shared a recipe for their traditional Tiramisú – for a little holiday indulgence, wherever you may be.

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Lorraine Acornley, on Scotland
Creative Director, Begg x Co

I grew up in Scotland and moved to London around 24 years ago. I still have family and friends in the motherland and work brings me back to Scotland frequently (although not in this last pandemic year!). I cannot wait to return. Here are the things on my wish list to see and do…

1. The Kinneuchar Inn is the most brilliant eatery in the East Neuk of Fife and St Andrew’s beach is great for a windy walk afterwards.

2. The V&A Dundee is a must. Don’t miss Night Fever: Designing Club Culture, the first major exhibition exploring the relationship between club culture and design, on until 9 January 2022.

3. I have my eye on staying at Porteous’ Studio in Edinburgh. For shopping Dick’s Edinburgh has a lovely edit of beautiful products. Eating in Edinburgh is a joy and I love The Scran & Scallie pub by Tom Kitchin.

4. In Glasgow, the Sculpture Garden at The Hunterian Museum is a hidden brutalist treasure, and from here it’s just a short stroll over to the historic Botanic Gardens.

5. Gairnshiel is on my radar and I’d love to visit. The former Victorian hunting lodge has been transformed by Belgian interior architect Nathalie Van Reeth into a guesthouse that interweaves Scottish tradition and modern interior design.

6. The white sandy beaches on the Isle of Lewis are on my bucket list! Dolphins, seals and even the occasional whale can be seen from the land on a calm day.

7. The Isle of Arran continues to be utterly charming…the ferry, the Douglas Hotel, the coastline – it’s like stepping back in time.

8. For a real treat, go off grid with a stay at Shore Cottage at Carskiey House – an incredible spot and Lisa and Tom the owners and hosts are brilliant. The scenic route up past “The Rest and Be Thankful” is stunning if you drive from Glasgow to Carskiey House. They also have artist studios where you can stay, which are fabulous.

Join Begg x Co at their pop-up store in Chelsea during London Craft Week 2021 to discover more about their cashmere accessories and knitwear.

Sebastien Holt, on Stockholm

Director, Modernity London

1. Artipelag is an idyllic restaurant set on Värmdö in the Stockholm Archipelago. Both pâtisserie and kitchen find inspiration from the surrounding nature, with an emphasis on seasonal and locally sourced products. The venue also offers a diverse programme of exhibitions, which can be enjoyed year-round.

2. The restaurant at Fotografiska has a great tasting menu with views over the city. After dinner, you can visit their photography exhibitions, ideally with a cocktail in hand.

3. For a relaxing stay, I recommend Hotel Skeppsholmen, which has a peaceful setting out of the hustle and bustle of the city. It’s also next door to the Moderna Museet with its excellent collection of modern and contemporary art.

4. If visiting in the summer months, make sure you visit Djurgården for a walk. It’s possible to go for a swim in the waters there to freshen up.

Discover Modernity’s collection of outstanding 20th Century Scandinavian Design during LCW 2021.

Marie-Rose Kahane, on Venice
Founder, YALI Glass

1. The new best way to visit Venice is to explore the lagoon! A number of environmental groups are organising tours to discover the fauna and flora of the lagoon away from the trodden tourist paths. The best guide is the environmental scientist Jane da Mosto.

2. A wonderful traditional boat can be rented for trips to explore the stunning waterways: I suggest LagunaB or Classic Boats Venice. For something special, try Edipo Re – yacht captain Enrico will take you on their beautiful 1950’s motor around the lagoon for an afternoon swim and delicious dinner served on board.

3. I highly recommend lunch at a small restaurant at the Alberoni, Lido. Le Garzette uses only home grown seasonal vegetables from their garden.

4. Learning to row the Venetian way – VOGARE – is a magical way to get around Venice. A few lessons and one is ready to explore the city by gliding through the canals. It’s wonderful to do at night.

5. To end the day in the Lagoon stop at La Certosa for drinks and watch the sun set.

For LCW 2021, YALI Glass will present an exhibition of their new whiskey glass collection and cocktail stirrers.

Cultural Agenda 

Adrian Sassoon at Parham House

This month, the magnificent interiors of Elizabethan mansion Parham House in West Sussex will play host to a range of contemporary ceramic and crafted pieces, in collaboration with the gallerist and art dealer Adrian Sassoon. Works by internationally renowned artists including Kate Malone, Colin Reid and Junko Mori have been interspersed with Parham’s collection of historic paintings, furniture, textiles and clocks, in a dialogue that reflects the rich collecting history of the house. Parham reopens to visitors at the end of June. Until then, enjoy this specially commissioned film and exhibition catalogues online.

Artefact

Artefact is a new contemporary craft fair launching at Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour, from 22-29 June. Featuring an impressive roll call of contemporary craft and visual arts galleries including Ruup & Form, Cynthia Corbett Gallery and Contemporary Applied Arts, the fair will celebrate the tactility and joy that handmade objects can bring to our lives. Don’t miss the ‘Conversations in Craft’ talks programme featuring LCW 2021 partners Mac Collins, Peter Ting and Shiro Muchiri. Register online to attend.

Soane Restored
Pitzhanger Manor & Garden

Discover how Pitzhanger was restored to John Soane’s original vision by skilled master craftsmen. Focusing on the recreation of Soane’s decorative paint effects, the rebuilding of the light-filled conservatory and the restoration of the original stone features, this exhibition reveals how interior and architectural elements lost for over a century were meticulously conserved. During LCW 2021, there’ll be an opportunity to drop in and see demonstrations of the techniques used in the conservation of the house, celebrating the craft skills and technical processes involved in the restoration.

UnEarthed
Sarah Myerscough Gallery

“I have always been interested in the rhythm of growth in relation to time; how material is built up and worn down by natural elements: eroding, decaying and fragmenting”, says Eleanor Lakelin. In her first solo exhibition in London at Sarah Myerscough Gallery, the artist presents a new series of monumental sculptural columns that reflect profoundly on our relationship to the natural world.

YOOX NET-A-PORTER GROUP and The Prince’s Foundation are offering a life-changing opportunity for recent fashion and textiles graduates based in the UK and Italy with the launch of the second edition of the Modern Artisan Project.

The 10-month paid training programme, running from September 2021 to July 2022, will guide eight trainee artisans through the process of bringing a responsible luxury womenswear collection to market, debuting on NET-A-PORTER and YOOX.

Applications are open until 23:59pm BST on Wednesday 30 June.

Find out more and apply here.

During London Craft Week 2021, YOOX NET-A-PORTER and The Prince’s Foundation will present an exhibition of works from alumni of the programme, in addition to the new Modern Artisan intake who will share the journey they will have taken one month into the new round of delivery.

Flavours of Italy

Eataly’s Tiramisú Classico
Traditional Tiramisú

This well-known coffee flavoured dessert is prepared by layering savoiardi biscuits and delicious mascarpone cream, topped with cocoa dust. As with many other Italian recipes, there’s not a clear history of how this recipe was created, but its origin is disputed by different Italian regions.

Yield: 4 Servings

Ingredients:
180g Mascarpone Cheese
2 Fresh Eggs
24g Sugar
300ml Strong Espresso Coffee, cold
100g Ladyfingers/ Novara biscuits/ Savoiardi
Cocoa Powder

Method:
1. Separate the egg yolks from the whites, into two different bowls.
2. Stir in the yolks with the sugar and mascarpone until the mixture is pale and the sugar has dissolved.
3. Separately, whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Using a wooden spoon, gently fold the egg whites into the mascarpone mixture.
4. Pour the coffee into a wide bowl, quickly dunk each biscuit into it. Arrange about half of the biscuits so that they completely cover the base of a shallow and rectangular dish. Cover the biscuits with half of the mascarpone mixture.
5. Arrange another layer of soaked biscuits and top with the remaining mascarpone mixture. Sprinkle with cocoa powder.
6. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours before serving.

Eataly’s Scuola will be hosting cookery classes and workshops during London Craft Week 2021 – keep your eyes peeled for more announcements soon.

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Featured Image: Begg x Co

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As summer approaches, we’re keen to embrace adventure and discovery. While we try to fathom out the UK’s travel traffic light system, we thought we’d share some ideas closer to home, from day trips to beautiful locations, creativity and craftsmanship and unmissable exhibitions. Plus, we catch up with some of the makers taking part in LCW 2021 who share what they’ve been working on in preparation for this year’s festival.

Escape the City

Image: Prospect Cottage by Ron Strutt 

Kent 

The ‘Garden of England’ has a wealth of cultural and historical attractions as well as rural beauty. Head to the coast to see Derek Jarman’s enigmatic Prospect Cottage, which sits on a shingle desert headland overlooked by the Dungeness Nuclear Power Station. The site was saved for the nation in March 2020 following a £3.5m crowdfunding campaign led by the Art Fund that will open up the cottage to visitors for the first time. Until then, enjoy the renowned wild garden and take in the views along this unique part of England’s coastline.

From Dungeness, it’s a short drive to the Chapel Down Winery in Tenterden which is open for self guided tours. Book in for lunch at The Swan, Chapel Down’s Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant specialising in modern British cuisine and locally sourced seasonal produce. There is an extensive wine list, but for something a little different we suggest trying Chapel Down’s award-winning Bacchus Gin.

If you’ve got time for a longer trip, the Turner Contemporary in Margate has recently unveiled a new sculpture by Michael Rakowitz titled ‘April is the cruellest month’ as the inaugural commission for England’s Creative Coast, a landmark project that is connecting the landscape and arts organisations along the South East coast. Spanning 1,400km of shoreline from the South Downs to the Thames Estuary, the seven newly-commissioned artworks will be revealed throughout the month of May.

From June 5, we suggest timing your trip to Margate with a visit to Carl Freedman Gallery to see BREAKFAST UNDER THE TREE. Curated by the actor Russell Tovey, who was a guest curator for LCW’s 300 Objects exhibition last year, the show brings together a diverse range of depictions of contemporary social scenes, group portraits and shared spaces to form a pictorial survey of how we live now.

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Image: Charleston by Tony Tree

East Sussex

Charleston and its former inhabitants continue to provide a rich source of inspiration for fashion and interior design, from Kim Jones’ debut couture collection for Fendi to the creations of Luke Edward Hall and Ben Pentreath. Influenced by the house and its beautiful gardens, join Molly Mahon and Kit Kemp for a block printing workshop and breakfast discussion exploring the allure of Charleston as part of this year’s London Craft Week. In the meantime, the house is now open with an exhibition of works by the visionary Welsh artist Nina Hamnett.

In Hastings, Turner Prize nominees Project Art Works have taken over the Foreshore Gallery at Hastings Contemporary for a collaborative residency exploring how we can recover and connect after a year of isolation. While we wait for the gallery to reopen from 27 May, a programme of public events, film screenings and installations are visible through the gallery windows and online.

While in the area, we recommend a visit to Tillingham, one of a new generation of wineries spearheading an experimental approach to farming and winemaking. The estate, which dates from the 13th century, has a recently renovated farmstead and restaurant where you can enjoy the produce of the farm and the local area.

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Cultural Highlights 

Image: Michaela Efford/ The Design Museum

The Design Museum
Sneakers Unboxed: Studio to Street

We’re looking forward to revisiting some of our favourite museums this month, which are opening with a diverse range of exhibitions. The Design Museum’s much-anticipated Sneakers Unboxed exhibition unveils how this footwear phenomenon has challenged performance design, inspired subcultures and altered the world of fashion. It promises to be an enlightening journey through the design and creative processes behind some of the most technically inventive shoes of today.

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Image: Kosuke Tamura 

Japan House
Making Nuno: Japanese Textile Innovation from Sudō Reiko

Japanese textile designer Sudō Reiko is renowned for pushing the boundaries of textile production and championing new methods of sustainable manufacturing during her 30 year career at leading textile design firm Nuno. This fascinating exhibition showcases large-scale installations that highlight Sudō’s technical processes, and examines themes of sustainability, tradition and craftsmanship within her work.

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Image: Tile panel, Diaa El-Din Daoud, 2018, Fustat, Egypt. V&A

V&A
Contemporary Ceramic Art from the Middle East

Bringing together for the first time contemporary artists from the Middle East and North Africa who work primarily in clay, this landmark display explores how tradition, identity and politics have shaped the richness and inventiveness of current ceramic practice across the region. Look out for a demonstration and Q&A with Ashraf Hanna, whose new work Shararah forms part of the display, during London Craft Week.

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Image: ‘Chiral’ Kevin Grey, LOEWE Foundation

LOEWE FOUNDATION Craft Prize

Celebrating excellence and innovation in modern craftsmanship, the LOEWE FOUNDATION Craft Prize recognizes the artisans whose talent, vision and innovation promise to set a new standard for the future. After being postponed in 2020, the fourth edition of the Craft Prize has announced the 30 finalists that will show at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris this Spring, with the virtual exhibition now live. From textile to ceramics, metal to paper, the objects embody a commitment to creativity and experimentation.

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LCW Preview: The Year the World Changed

This month we profile some of the exceptional makers and brands participating in London Craft Week 2021, highlighting special collaborations and new ways of working that have developed over the course of an extraordinary year.

Image: Winch Design

Under Winch’s Wing

Winch Design established Under Winch’s Wing last year as a response to the realisation that some of the smallest studios and independent craftspeople with whom they work were struggling as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. The initiative offers advice and support to the makers and suppliers whose irreplaceable skills have brought the Winch Design portfolio to life over the past 35 years. In recognition of this contribution, Winch Design will present a one-day showcase of elite craftsmanship with the artisans from Under Winch’s Wing during LCW 2021.

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Image: Lucille Lewin

Lucille Lewin and Nicole Farhi

When friends and full-time sculptors Lucille Lewin and Nicole Farhi met up between lockdowns with independent curator Selina Skipwith, they realised that they were most missing the company of their female friends and going to exhibitions. The meeting was the genesis of a new exhibition taking place during LCW, In Good Company, that will showcase work produced by Lewin and Farhi during the lockdowns, which both artists found incredibly productive, alongside select earlier pieces.

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Image: Tiny Pricks

Tiny Pricks

Tiny Pricks is a public art project established by Diana Weymar that has been creating a material record of experiences and stories from the pandemic and Trump era. To date, the project has over 5,000 embroidered pieces which will be on show during LCW, with quotes from everyone from Trump to Dolly Parton, Greta Thunberg to Ruth Bader Ginsburg. As the project moves into the post-Trump era, it is focusing on optimistic messaging around the election of Kamala Harris, increased engagement in the climate crisis, and drawing inspiration from challenges to equality, social justice and gender rights.

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Image: Sne Tak

RCA Textiles MA Graduates

2020 was a challenging year for many arts graduates, with end of year shows moved online or cancelled completely. For London Craft Week, a group of talented makers from the RCA’s Textiles MA programme will exhibit their work physically in London for the first time. Highlighting a diversity of approach to the craft of textile making – its construction, preservation and interactivity – the exhibition will shine a spotlight on the skills and processes of a new generation of textile artists and designers.

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Featured image: Molly Mahon

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With the long-awaited return of physical retail and outdoor dining starting in the UK this week, we asked some trusted LCW friends to share the spots in the capital they are most looking forward to getting back to. Discover our definitive guide of top picks for the coming weeks…

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1. I’ve been a proud member of the Horniman Museum for many years. It’s a space that never fails to fascinate and inspire me. During lockdown I enjoyed taking in the stunning gardens and supporting the Sunday farmer’s market but it will be great to be able to go back inside, and I look forward to waving hello to their famously overstuffed walrus.

2. The Wellcome Collection (opens 18 May) on Euston Road always offers something unexpected with their mix of science and art. It’s a brilliant place for the curious and I could spend afternoons in perhaps the best gift-shop any museum in our city has to offer. The re-opening of their Being Human exhibition is high on my list of exhibitions to return to and I look forward to getting lost in the meditative work of artist Sop’s The Den.

3. RÆBURN is all about craft, creativity and community and the whole team are so looking forward to warmly welcoming the public back into our space again. We’ve already started lining up dates for our popular lab tours and our mascot animals look forward to greeting you. The team are always happy to talk you through our archive and current offerings. When you’re in the area, there are some great local outdoor watering holes we like to support, such as the Deviant and Dandy brewery.  

RÆBURN LAB is open from Friday 16 April. Keep in the loop for upcoming community based family-friendly activities by signing up to their newsletter.

Image: Christopher Raeburn/ Ben Broomfield

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Lulu Lytle
Co-Founder, Soane Britain

1. There are so many places I long to visit once we can break free! Locally it will be the Admiral Vernon Arcade at Portobello Market where some of the very best antiques dealers are based.2. I dream of spending hours in a book shop again, something I shall never take for granted after the last year. Although I really like Abe Books for buying second hand and out of print books online, I cannot wait to return to the ever inspiring John Sandoe Books in Chelsea.

3. Antiques fairs and auction houses have always been favourite haunts of mine so I am very much hoping that some of these will be opening their doors again in the coming weeks.

4. Further afield I am particularly excited to return to Egypt and to meet some of the brilliant artisans working with Malaika Linens.

Soane Britain is open by appointment only. Visit their website for further details. 

Image: Lulu Lytle

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Nicolas Rouzaud
Executive Pastry Chef, The Connaught

The Connaught’s Jean-Georges terrace is open from Monday 12 April. The Connaught Patisserie is open for takeaway only and is now delivering across London. Visit their website for further details and to make a reservation. 

Image: Nicolas Rouzaud/ The Maybourne Group

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Rosh Mahtani
Founder & Designer, Alighieri Jewellery

3. I miss watching slightly obscure films in the Curzon cinema and I love buying a tub of ice cream from Gelupo and sneaking it in.

4. The Guinea Grill pub is my favourite pub, run by the best landlord in London, Oisin Rogers.

5. The Painted Hall at the Royal Naval College is just round the corner from my house and I like to come and sit in here and stare up at the ceiling. It makes me think a lot about what can be achieved through dedication and practice.

Rosewood‘s The Macallan Manor House terrace is open from Monday 12 April. Visit their website for further details and to make a reservation. 

Image: Calum Frankin/ Rosewood Hotels

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The Best of Al Fresco

Images: 45 Jermyn Street; Morito

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Culture Fix

Dovecot Studios 

From 26 April, residents of Scotland will be able to visit Archie Brennan: Tapestry Goes Pop! at Dovecot Studios in Edinburgh. The exhibition tells the story of Edinburgh native Archie Brennan in the first major showcase of his work. Bringing together over 80 tapestries as well as archive material, this is a chance to delve into the world of a master of modern tapestry.

Image: Dovecot Studios

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Make Hauser & Wirth 

In Bruton, Somerset, Make Hauser & Wirth presents Antipode, a group exhibition featuring Akiko Hirai, Studio MC (Jessica Coates and Michel Müller), Adi Toch and Andrea Walsh. As the title suggests, Antipode explores the opposing outcomes and unexpected counterpoints that surface through each maker’s intimate understanding of their material and the conceptual exploration of the vessel. Expect works that stretch the traditional boundaries of metal, clay and glass, intuitively referencing the functional and sculptural within each maker’s practice.

Image: Make Hauser & Wirth

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With the next step in our freedom not far away now, here at LCW we’re embracing the official arrival of Spring and the promise of ever longer, brighter days. From a bike ride along the river to taking a picnic with your loved ones, discover our top picks for the next few weeks.

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Simple Pleasures 

Image: Hackney Herbal

Grow Your Own Food, £20

What simpler pleasure is there than growing your own? Spring’s drier days are an opportunity to get busy propagating, preparing your raised beds and sowing the last few seeds. If you need a helping hand getting started in the veg garden (or your window box), we recommend Hackney Herbal’s two-hour online workshop, which provides an introduction to organic vegetable growing.

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Image: Grafton Saddler

Grafton Saddler

As the days warm up, get out on your bike and enjoy the change of the season. For those based in London, we suggest a cycle down the river to Kew Gardens, which is especially beautiful at this time of year, with bulbs giving way to some of the best cherry blossom west of Tokyo. While one can’t cycle around the gardens, there are many places to lock up the bike while you explore the gardens. Up your cycling comfort with a bespoke leather saddle from Grafton Saddler, who create custom leather work from their studio based at Cockpit Arts. Each piece is designed, hand cut, dyed, punched and stitched in-house using traditionally dyed calfskin.

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Image: Pique

The Freedom Picnic, £50

With outdoor social gatherings – although somewhat limited – permitted from 29 March, it looks like the picnicking season might start a little earlier this year. If, like us, you can’t wait to see your friends and family, gather your support bubble for an al fresco celebration with Pique’s Freedom hamper. Their seasonal menu focuses on picnic classics with a modern twist, and includes caramelised apple and thyme sausage rolls, herby aioli, and creamy za’atar hummus with crudités. Everything is handmade to order, so if you’ve been hankering after something special, Pique will add it for you.

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Image: Begg x Co

Jura Palette, Lambswool Angora Throw, £310

There’s no denying that balmy summer evenings are still a little way off yet, so Begg x Co’s versatile picnic blanket is worth bringing along in case things turn chilly. Made from the highest quality Lambswool and Angora, which provide exceptional warmth without feeling too heavy, it’s ideal for taking on all your travels this year, as we are allowed to venture further afield.

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Image: Ettinger

Hunter Flask with Four Cups, £140

Ettinger’s Hunter Flask is another way of warding off the chill with a tipple or two. We also particularly like Connolly’s leather Cocktail Case. In collaboration with Sebastian Conran, it takes outdoor socialising to another level. Maybe keep it for Glyndebourne.

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Image: Louisa Loakes / The New Craftsmen

Online Block Printing Workshop, £80

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Image: St. John

Hot Cross Buns, £2 each

With Easter almost upon us, it’s hard to resist freshly made hot cross buns. If in London, we highly recommend a visit to St. John’s bakery counters at Borough Corner, Commercial Street, and Druid Street, where you can find their famous buns speckled with warming spices, candied ginger, dried fruits and peel, available for takeaway. When you’ve made it home with your bounty, they recommend serving them toasted with butter and marmalade, and a cup of tea.

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Natural Spring

Image: Ffern

Spring 2021, £69 per bottle

Artisan perfumers Ffern release four fragrances each year that put nature, craft, and creativity at the centre of their practice. For Spring 2021, they’ve shared with us some insights into the profile of their latest fragrance, which captures the scents that embody the Spring Equinox:

1. They began by laying the foundation: the distinctive smell of soil. For this they turned to vetiver, with its earthy, woody undertones and ginger, with a warm, spicy aroma. Onto this they mixed pink pepper and basil, echoing the fresh, peppery notes of young green shoots.
2. Complementing this culinary sharpness are the soft notes of bergamot and the zest of green mandarin which capture the dense foliage of the greenhouse.
3. They have brought in jasmine as a reminder of the spring blossom in the garden – and grounded its delicacy with the more resinous, woody notes of cedar, a reflection of the greenhouse’s old wooden frame and the woody vines that interlace the ceiling.
4. For the centrepiece they chose the bitter orange tree. Each element of the orange tree comes with its own unique scent. For Spring 21, Ffern decided to incorporate them all.
5. First the petitgrain, sharp and faintly herbal, taken from the leaves and twigs. Then the neroli, honeyed and airy, produced by steam distillation of freshly picked orange flowers. Finally, they turned to the rind itself – a juicy, bitter, citrus note. Once the maturation of the fragrance was complete, they added orange blossom water instead of the traditional pure water, incorporating a byproduct of the steam distillation process.

As every batch is strictly limited, Ffern operate a production ledger to ensure the quality of their work is not compromised by scale. Sign up to join the waitlist here, and be the first to access a space on the ledger when one becomes available.

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Image: Sebastian Cox

Products of Silviculture, from £695

Sebastian Cox embraces a more harmonious way of living with the natural world through his ‘nature first’ approach. Discover his new collection Products of Silviculture, constructed from coppiced hazel, hornbeam, birch and sweet chesnut partnered with other carefully sourced British wood. Each piece of furniture showcases the rich and lively nature of this entirely renewable material; Sebastian comments, “the key to being able to work with what nature wants to yield is reframing how we think about our materials. I see our woodland not as standing boards for furniture, but as a living ecosystem, which we can glean material from while increasing life within it”. The collection embodies this sustainable approach whilst offering beautiful pieces to enrich the home: find out more on his website.

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Image: Kazuhito Takadoi / jaggedart

Kazuhito Takadoi, Yokuka 4 and 7, £1,180

There’s still time to discover Collect 2021, which is live on Artsy until 24 March. We’ve enjoyed exploring the range of galleries who have sought to highlight the wonders of nature, and the artists who manipulate found natural materials to exquisite effect. LOEWE FOUNDATION Craft Prize Finalist 2019, Kazuhito Takadoi, presented by jaggedart, trained in horticulture in Japan and creates his works from grasses, twigs and branches, many of which he grows in his back garden in the UK. Discover his work in a virtual tour at SoShiro, which will be open for by appointment viewings in person from 12-30 April.

Look out for the fourth edition of the LOEWE FOUNDATION Craft Prize, which returns this Spring when the postponed 2020 exhibition opens at Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris.

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Featured image courtesy of Ffern

Collect, the art fair for contemporary craft and design, has returned for its 17th edition with a stellar line up of exceptional works across ceramics, glass, lacquer, jewellery, precious metalwork, textiles, wood, and paper, showcased by 32 specialist international galleries and presented by the Crafts Council. 

To celebrate Collect’s launch, here at London Craft Week we’ve put together an edit of our favourite pieces from this year’s selection…

ERNST GAMPERL, 47/2018/180, 2018

Gallery LVS 

Working with wood that he finds “full of character,” Gamperl allows branches, knots, and fractures in the wood to dictate the shape of his vessels, sculpting in conversation with his material.

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HELEN O’SHEA, Bi-Valve, 2019

Helen O’Shea’s textile-based sculptures focus on creating new narratives around waste plastics, encouraging us to think about waste as the valuable resource it is. 

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ABIGAIL BOOTH, Untitled, 2020

Abigail Booth produces large-scale quilted paintings that explore the liminal space of the constructed canvas, while challenging the relationship between the imagined and the actual through her embodied interactions with the natural.

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ANGUS ROSS, Waterfall Bench, 2020

Transforming local trees into exquisite furniture, Angus Ross creates pieces with a sense of movement and flow, like this bench, which captures a delicate waterfall with its flowing lines. 

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ELLIOT WALKER, Still Life with Shrimps, 2021

Elliot Walker uses glass to sculpt a story, creating artworks that invite the viewer closer. His Still Life compositions have the poise of classical paintings, where symbols of domestic life are carefully balanced with the transient.

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MAX BAINBRIDGE, Hollowed Vessel, 2021

Max Bainbridge’s Hollowed Vessel creates a tangible link to the earth, bridging the point at which human thought intersects and entangles with the act of nature itself.

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LEE HYANG-KOO, Double Open-work Porcelain Vase with Floral Decoration, 2002

Lee Hyang-Koo is a master ceramicist from Icheon, South Korea. He uses open-work techniques to act as a structure for his vessels, on which exquisite, finer details sit. 

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SILVER SENTIMENTI, White Pot, Small Model – Gladiator Series – 144, 2020

Silver Sentimenti brings a sensibility to his ceramic creations, which are made using complex firing techniques and embroidered with materials such as leather and metal to create intricate, unexpected details. 

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LINE NILSEN, Cloud Bench, 2020

Based in the UK, Line Nilsen is a Norwegian designer, textile artist and hand weaver. Fascinated with the artisanal processes, she believes that the objects we choose to live with enrich our lives with emotion.

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MATT SMITH, Wall Sconce with Camel, 2021

Using craft, Matt Smith’s work celebrates the mainstream and also unsettles it, taking objects from their intended roles and repurposing them in alternative situations and narratives.

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Featured Image Credit: Max Bainbridge/ Sarah Myerscough Gallery

Discover the full list of galleries, makers and objects on Artsy, where Collect remains live until 2 March 2021.

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Brands must be anchored culturally to remain engaging, says Guy Salter OBE MVO, our Founder and Chairman.

As featured in Walpole Editorial 18 February 2021.

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Art, culture, luxury, fashion. How natural nowadays to see these bracketed together. At least for those of us who work in luxury. Even arts luminaries wouldn’t look twice, albeit some of the more fastidious with residual distaste at the inclusion of the last two. Just as leading museums home in on fashion, literature, music or gaming to drive visitors, raise profile and stay relevant, especially to new audiences, so brands borrow from contemporary culture (high and, increasingly, low). With an eye on elevating beyond the commercial into something more weighty, worthy and, so the theory goes, impactful. Or, in the case of streetwear, more youthful and edgy. Shopping plus.

If this is no longer the new normal but normal, why too often does it come across as a tad forced, off-key? Just as with ‘experience as the new luxury’, ‘microplastics and the supply chain’ or ‘AI and big data’, it sometimes smacks of a CEO recently back from a conference, whose team has been hastily assembled to fast track some connect-us-with-the-zeitgeist initiative. Tricky to pull off even for the most sure-footed.

So how to play the cultural card? Especially when something can go from cool to cold in a season. I’m certainly no expert but here are a few observations from the road.

Although maybe the first question to pose is whether this interest in things cultural is a passing fad we can and, given how hard it is to do well, should safely ignore? My view is this is no luxury but core to keeping a brand fighting fit and has always been so. When a brand is born, it is naturally of its time and place. Much of which is often bound up in the personability and passions of the founder, often a natural storyteller. Indeed, as an investor, I look for this energy and point of view, as it reflects and resonates, creating traction and cut-through. Dare I say, soul. Critical to creating value.

The challenge is how to preserve that, especially given how quickly moods shift and consumers grow ever more picky and prone to boredom.

At its best, associating ourselves with contemporary culture anchors us in things that are engaging to our customers. In other words, matter to them. But picking the newest or shiniest toy in the arts and culture box isn’t an approach that is likely to work. Indeed, too often it’s a shortcut to ersatzdom.

Rather, my advice is to start at the other end. With the realisation that our brands are often culture-generators in their own right – and may have been for a long time. Plus, as an industry that is essentially selling things that allow people to say something about themselves, we have a more complex two-way relationship with not only our own culture and place of origin but also how that plays across other geographies, resonating (or not).

My advice, therefore, is never to stray too far from our centre of gravity, especially in terms of where our expertise, personality and so ultimate authority lies. This includes, where relevant, not forgetting a word missing from the four I started this piece with: craft. Traditionally considered less exalted but in cultural terms often more powerful, as not only is how something made, literally material to its promise of quality, but it’s likely to be rooted in local disciplines, stories and people, including our own. More accessible and human for many consumers – talking with, rather than talking down.

Knowing and sticking to our base doesn’t mean we shouldn’t strive for the most imaginative and freshest way to tell (or retell) our stories. And sometimes this means reaching half way across the world to collaborate with artists, campaigners or others who share our point of view. And reach new audiences or get existing ones to look again. Ideally avoiding worthiness at all costs, keeping a lightness of touch and preferably a sense of humour stops us coming across as bores, or worse – outsiders looking in.

Finally, along with the responsibility to our own brand to get this right we should remain mindful of its influence, both as a representative of a set of wider cultural values and a vehicle for our customers. For actually this is quite a high-stakes game, especially when tempers run high and instant sharing, or even more instant judgements, are the norm and when anything less than perceived total transparency raises suspicion.

Done well we can enhance our brand’s standing, reinforce our competitive advantage and do some good at the same time. Worst case, we can destroy brand value. Sometimes imperceptibly, sometimes almost overnight. Although overused, maybe it comes back to that lodestar of our industry at its best: authenticity. Being and staying real. And looking for ways old and new to reinforce and emphasise it.

This article was originally published in the 2019 Walpole Book of British Luxury.

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Featured image courtesy of Walpole. 

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We persuaded LCW’s Founder to pick up his pen again for our February Newsletter.

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Valentine’s Day is one of those moments that creep up on me, catching me unprepared. Worst case, I’ve committed to a business trip, more often than not just cut it too fine. At least the former gaffe hasn’t been possible this year. For some reason though, I’ve been obsessing for weeks about what to do for this 14th February. Maybe because we’re all more aware of the central place love and our loved ones play in our lives. Plus during Lockdown any excuse to have a celebration, big or small, at least in our household.

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Image: The Waterhouse Project 

The Waterhouse Project At Home. £157 for two (including wine)

Dinner on the 14th is non-negotiable. For those who normally go out (we don’t, as faux-romantic menus and a room full of hushed whispering is not our thing), Lockdown has spawned a cornucopia of imaginative and delicious delivery options from enterprising local restauranteurs. For those of you in London, this is one of the best meal kits around – and can feed up to eight, so perfect for spreading the Love. The beetroot looks especially enticing, both baked and in the macaroons. Gauthier also do a great home option, especially The Vegan Box – which can be delivered nationwide.

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Image: Forman & Field 

H. Forman & Son Wild River Tweed Smoked Salmon. Half pound pack, £99.50

Cooking something special for that special person is wonderful at any time of year. But you don’t want to be slaving over the stove or, even worse, experimenting with a new recipe. So I suggest something simple, which you know well and can get on the table with minimum fuss and maximum attention on your Loved One. Plus this year, for those of us in multi-generational households, there’s no romantic dinner-for-two option, so easy ways to feed everyone are even more important. Hard to go wrong then starting with smoked salmon. But, as with so much else, there is a world of difference between the standard supermarket stuff and this wild salmon from Lance Forman’s pink Smokery on the banks of the Lea. Most people assume that Scotland is the ancient home of smoked salmon as well as the fish itself but actually it was immigrants like the Formans who brought the knowledge and skills of how to smoke fish with them when they arrived in the East End. I think I am right in saying Forman’s is one of the last, if not the last, from those days. The Forman farmed version is also good and much more affordable. Although if, like me, you prefer a leaner salmon, Secret Smokehouse, who are relative newcomers also keeping up the East End tradition, do a spectacularly natural and fresh farmed fish.

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Image: Laurent-Perrier 

Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Alexandra Rosé. Hedonism Wines, £215

Image: Nyetimber

Nyetimber 1086 Rosé Prestige Cuvée, £175

Keeping the food simple, means you can double down on the wine. A sparkling rosé is essential for Valentine’s Day and never more so than this year. I am biased but these two wines are outstandingly good examples in their own different ways. Maybe serve both and start the evening as you mean to go on. Both Houses also do a standard rosé, which is far from standard but easier on the wallet.

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Mary Berry’s Best Brownies Ever Recipe. From Mary Berry’s Complete Cookbook, £30

Making something for your loved ones has become a sort of leitmotif of this Covid-year. So Valentine’s is another excuse to rustle up something sweet and ideally chocolaty. I made Mary Berry’s Very Best Chocolate Fudge cake last week for my younger son’s birthday but did something wrong, which was almost terminal and required all my pothole-repairing skills (plus lots of extra icing and Apricot jam). This is also from La Berry but somewhat more straightforward and just as delicious. I think brownies should be chewy, so my top tip is to add 50g of ground almonds. And take them out of the oven five minutes early.

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Image: Bread Ahead

Bread Ahead E-Learning Class: Doughnuts. £25 per person | 2.5 hours

Even better than making something with love for those you love is to make things together with them, especially if the whole family can get involved. The challenge of course is not being able to do this physically and so not being able to see what others are doing, especially when things go wrong (which is always how I learn). The good news is that Bread Ahead, with whom my son Hugo and I have learnt how to make bagels, pretzels, focaccia and all things that start with a levain, run this and other online courses. Participants download an E-workshop with recipes, ingredients and an equipment list. They can then join a live Zoom session with one of Bread Ahead’s bakers who guide them step-by-step through the process. And notch up another Covid-skill, in this case the healing power of doughnuts.

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Image: Sian Evans Jewellery

Bespoke Recycled Jewellery from Sian Evans

We tend towards exchanging tokens rather than something big but if you are someone who likes to give something more substantial on the Feast of Saint Valentine, then Sian Evans’s Bespoke Upcycling service, despite sounding somewhat municipal and utilitarian, is a lovely idea and a practical way to breathe new life into little used jewellery.

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Image: Rosa de la Cruz/ Matches Fashion

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Image: Two Rivers Paper

Four Sheet Pack of Full Imperial Oatmeal-tinted Rag Tub-Sized Watercolour Paper. Two Rivers Paper, £60

For as long as I can remember I’ve had a weakness for beautiful paper. This year even more so, with any occasion, however minor, marked by something papery. I’ve even been trying to remember my prep school watercolour classes. Pre-Covid, every trip to Tokyo I stocked up on stationary supplies, especially from the Ginza Itoya. But with these now running low, I rediscovered my family’s favourite, Smythson’s. I’ve been missing G F Smith’s wonderful Eastcastle Street showroom, where they feature an eye-dazzling range of papers, including those from James Cropper, who’ve been making paper continuously in their mill in the Lake District since 1845 (and used to supply the paper for our LCW guide). At the other end of the spectrum, Jim Pattison (who was the Heritage Craft Association’s Maker of the Year 2019) and Neil Hopkins, with one apprentice, Zoe Collis, are the craftspeople behind Two Rivers Paper who handmake papers for artists and designers in Somerset.

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One Day Introductory Calligraphy Course with Patricia Lovett MBE

Despite my love of paper, pens and wet ink, my card-making and letter writing is always let down by my illegible scribbles. So if someone was to give me a beginners Calligraphy course like this I would be scratching away at my Copperplate before you could say nib. Although I imagine my entry and exit strokes would need some considerable practice at home before being good enough for anything other than the Ocado list.

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Image: Woman In Real Life

Cricut Joy. John Lewis, £159.99

In a burst of Christmas card-making enthusiasm, I bought one of these mini bundles of joy for my partner Manoon. I’m ashamed to say, we’ve both been so busy since then that it remains in its box, as yet unused. Hopefully we can christen it for the 14th.

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Image: FLOWERBX

Large Pink Lady Orchid. FLOWERBX, £70

Finally, let’s not forget the flowers. Goodness knows what Government Guidance is on how to keep fresh flowers Covid-free but anyway better give a plant, as there’s something special about bringing something living into the home. And this beautiful orchid from Walpole Brand of Tomorrow FLOWERBX, will not only bloom for ages but do so again in six months or so if looked after properly.

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Image: Shannon Clegg

Bouquet, Shannon Clegg, £450 

Or for an alternative, Shannon Clegg’s wonderful sculptural pieces can be bought or commissioned for something different and beautiful. Maybe there’s even a way to make your Valentine’s flowers last by picking up a few tips from Shannon (who will be exhibiting at LCW this year) on how to dry and press flowers.

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Image: Franchi

Principe Borghese da Appendere Tomato Seeds. Franchi Seeds, £2.69

To finish on the renaissance theme, why not give a pack or two of these seeds, as February isn’t too early to get propagating. Just make sure to get the right varieties, as it’s pointless to go to all the effort and end up with fruit that is no better than what you can get at the supermarket. Franchi is my go-to veg seed supplier, I just hope Brexit hasn’t made getting them too complicated this year.

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Featured image courtesy of Shannon Clegg