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ESTILA inspiring stories for creatives in business VOLUME 11/ ISSUE 44

EDITORS Karolina Barnes Emilia Vespoli Flavia Young / luxe-layers.com Nicola McCullough / strawberryblondebeauty.com GUEST CONTRIBUTOR Erica Wolfe-Murray

FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHERS Anna Yankovski Nicola McCullough COVER ART Natalia Lewandowska, the story on p 6 A big thank you to all our editors, contributors and everyone who continues to support ESTILA. ESTILA bookazine is designed and published by STUDIO/ESTILA t/a Palantti Ltd. The entire content of this publication is protected by copyright and may not be reproduced without written consent from the publisher. The views expressed in this publication are those of the respective contributors and are not necessarily CONTACT

shared by the publisher. Original work and

estila.co / IG @estilamag

photography are copyrighted by its owner.

Tell us your story: editor@estila.co Website: estila.co

ISSN 2398-9041 Printed in the United Kingdom.

WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF ESTILA

â€œ

This world is but a canvas to our imagination. Henry David Thoreau

â€?

FOR CREATIVES BY CREATIVES ESTILA bookazine tells the untold and powerful stories of amazingly talented creatives who have gone through frustrations, tipping points and aha-moments that have led them onto a path of entrepreneurship. From art and design to lifestyle, we touch on issues faced by modern creative businesses. But more importantly, with each issue we are growing a community of newcomers, changemakers, forward thinkers and inspirers, connecting designers, brands, artists and other creatives to each other. This is your networking source on paper. And so as you read through the following pages, ask yourself: can I spot a new contact or an opportunity for a collaboration? Engage your creative thinking and imagination.

ABLE

SUSTAIN

VOLUME 11/ ISSUE 44

Featured brand stories COVER STORY Natalia Lewandowska p6

NEWCOMERS

CHANGE MAKERS

FORWARD THINKERS

INSPIRERS

Hemming & Wills p16 London Bathers p24

Valentina Karellas p30 Pia Design p36 Beauty brands p44 pod + Patternity p48

Black & Sigi p54 Adventures in Furniture p58 Claire Gaudion p62

Nocera & Ferri p68 Graeme Hopper p74 Skin Alchemists p80 Donna Ford p84

EDITOR'S NOTES

n recent months I had many conversations about sustainability. As consumers,

we are being bombarded with "sustainable", sometimes not-so-credible, messages used as a marketing tool, but what does it actually mean? Can companies manufacture fully sustainable products, distribute them sustainably and implement sustainable measures in their back office? While it may be a current buzz word, the reality seems to be that there is still a long way to go before we reach 100% sustainability. This issue aims to open a conversation about some of the untold challenges, unspoken frustrations, extremely difficult compromises and barriers small brands and designers face when trying to be "sustain|able". My hope is that if you are a business owner who battles with similar issues you realise that you are not alone, and if you are trying to change your habits to more sustainable living you will gain not only an insight into the efforts companies have to make to become more sustain|able, but also it will give you some ideas and tips. In the spirit of recycling and repurposing, can you believe that our beautiful cover was created from our past magazine copies? Natalia Lewandowska, an artist and multidisciplinary creative, used some of our old, damaged pages and turned them into this stunning piece of collage art. But there is more. Look out for Graeme Hopper story (p74), showcasing his take on sustainability through art. As always, thank you for reading and your continuous support. It truly means a lot. Without you, we wouldn't be able to provide such a supportive platform where small creative businesses can share their stories. Karolina Barnes / editor-in-chief

COVER STORY Natalia Lewandowska

Multi disciplinary creativity interview by Karolina Barnes art by Natalia Lewandowska

wo boxes of our magazine with unsellable copies were collecting dust for over a

year in our office. With our strictly no throwaway policy I knew that we had to come up with something which would turn them into something new. But what? Maybe paper bracelets or a new piece of art? And that's how our cover collaboration with Natalia Lewandowska came about. Natalia is a true multidisciplinary creative. From designing a perfume bottle and commercial interiors, working on large-scale hand drawn illustration to using different media for her collage art, her signature style is defined by a collection of influences drawn from life, nature and society. Her work is captivating as well as thought-provoking.

Previous page: Who is She? 7

Firstly can you tell us a little bit about your journey and how you got into the art world? Expressing through an art form was natural for me from the very beginning. When I was in kindergarten, my mother saw me drawing dragonflies that were featured on book covers. Throughout my formative years, I attended drawing and painting courses, ceramic classes and stained glass workshops after school and during weekends. When I was 18, it was only natural for me to study at the University of Arts in London. Subsequently, I was determined to win the HSBC Bank Bursary to sponsor my Master degree at the Royal College of Art. At the time, I was interested in designing innovative hypnosis to enhance inner creativity and my tutor encouraged me to pursue my interest further. Thanks to her, my thesis was described by Jonathan Miles as ‘Distinctive in all dimensions’ and I received the Quentin Blake Narrative Drawing Award which I wasn’t expecting at all. We love your varied approach to your work. What media do you use to bring it all together? I always have been doing my own thing. When I was little I created costumes out of pantyhose and I was dressing my little brother as a ‘Ninja riding on a turtle’ (I was the turtle). I was building a space base for him out of books, CDs or blankets to play Star Wars. The same applies to my projects. I take all possible media to create my vision. Some might say that I should stick to one medium, like painting or drawing, but it never seems right. Therefore, it is always hard to explain what I actually do. Am I a designer, an illustrator or an artist? For instance, my large-scale hand drawn illustration is etched on the 30 meters long stainless steel wall and it is installed at the Eurostar Ticket Hall at London King's Cross railway station. I created a brand identity for several English establishments. I designed a perfume bottle, a suitcase and commercial interiors, from the pattern on the floor to the ceiling in New York and St. Petersburg. It’s not so surprising that one might wonder what I’m all about.

“

I always have been doing my own thing. I take all possible media in order to create my vision. Previous page: Mother Nature

This page: Procopius of Caesarea | Next page: Veet Oriental

This page: Mrs K

This page: Snow Under

What are your creative processes and go-to resources for inspiration? Everything starts with research - always very extensive and thorough. Once I gather all the information, ideas seem to flow naturally. The deeper the research is, the better. In the end, I face my own network of information that presents the answers. However, I do have one more method. Dreams. I have rare insomnia since I was a child, which means that every morning I wake up during the dream. Sometimes I need five minutes to understand where I am. It happens every single morning. It is rather exhausting, but having said that, I do witness interesting stories. Sometimes my mind builds whole cities with detailed architecture and futuristic vehicles. You’ve exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts during their Summer Exhibition. Can you tell us how that came about and where else have you shown your work? Were there any challenges you had to overcome? To be honest I have submitted my artwork on the last day of the deadline and I wasn’t expecting to be selected. Also, I was very lucky to be exhibited in the bright and spacious ‘Lecture Room’ gallery, which was curated by British artist and Royal Academician, Stephen Chambers. Overall, my goal is to take part in exhibitions, shows or installations as much as possible, and I have been doing so each year since 2009. So far I took part in exhibitions at the Victoria and Albert Museum, Saatchi Gallery and Truman Brewery. I found The Other Art Fair particularly challenging because I had to create a Crowdfunding campaign to pay for my stand. It was very intense and hard but a very rewarding experience in the end. What are your plans for the near future? Where can we see and buy your work? At the moment I am working on a project in Boston, but unfortunately, I can’t say anything more about it yet. My artworks are available for purchase at the Saatchi Art online gallery, the Artfinder online marketplace or directly through me. I am planning a few exhibitions in the near future so follow me on Instagram where I will keep you posted.

natalialewandowska.co.uk artfinder.com/natalia-lewandowska |saatchiart.com/natalialewandowska IG @natalia.lewandowska.art

CHAPTER ONE

COMERS

NEW

definition

Newcomers are creative minds who are passionate about what they do and excited about their new journey. They have probably made some form of transition and personal reinvention. They are full of energy and enthusiasm and want everyone to know about them. Here we give them the space to introduce their story to you.

Hemming & Wills

Alternative homeware interview by Karolina Barnes, photography provided by Chris Woolfenden

e all know that we should be doing more when sourcing products and fur-

nishings for our own or client's home. The impact mass manufacturing, transportation and deforestation have on air pollution, and therefore our health and our planet, make daily headlines. While we are much more aware these days and want to change our habits, sometimes it can still be challenging to make that shift. Being time poor to find that perfect piece and high price points prevent some of us from going any further. Only the ones who persevere in their search find what they are looking for - a unique design alternative to the mainstream high street and online brands at accessible price points and ethically made too! Hemming & Wills offer just that. Chris Woolfenden, the founder of Hemming & Wills, tells us more...

Firstly can you tell us a little more about your journey and how and why you decided to leave your 9-5 job to start H&W? The origins of Hemming & Wills go way back. When growing up, I always had an interest and passion for home interiors – we moved pretty often so maybe that had something to do with it. I was sometimes asked for advice from my parents – I’ve always had an eye for the nicer things! But a regular ‘9-5’ (often much later!) IT career kept me distracted for many years, despite it never really leaving me fulfilled. Having always had an entrepreneurial yearning, I’m sure I wasn’t always the best employee, constantly wanting to be doing things in my own right and grumbling (my other half was definitely getting bored of it!)! So with fast approaching 40, combining with my ever increasing lack of passion for my IT career and some real frustrations we experienced when furnishing our new place in Manchester (I ended up buying pendant lights from Germany to get something a little different, yet still affordable), it was time to make a stand! H&W was born. We love finding businesses that put sustainability at the core of their mission and purpose. What is your view on the homeware/interiors industry and consumerism in general? What can brands like yours do to educate the customer? There are so many online, high street or out of town retailers. Some are excellent at what they do whilst others just appear faceless, lack individuality and the service they offer appears questionable. There also seems to be a split between ‘fast home fashion’ with consumers heading to budget friendly retailers, or on the other hand high end designer retailers for consumers with bigger budgets. Whichever way, there is a limited choice for consumers wanting sustainable choices when furnishing their homes, particularly when it comes to contemporary styles. We want to change that by providing a platform for showcasing contemporary, design-led home furnishings and homewares, including sustainable products so consumers have these choices available. We also want to champion smaller, emerging, independent makers and manufacturers with a focus on those who are British (our exclusive partnership with Moom lighting is an example of this). By doing this, we hope to be able to make more locally made and sustainable products available to customers at accessible prices.

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Our mission is to give customers locally made and sustainable products at accessible prices.

By showcasing these products, we aim to help customers see there are real alternatives to both mainstream, cheaper products and those that are higher end, together with demonstrating it is possible to have both contemporary and sustainably furnished homes. Our mission is to create "Happiness at Home" by helping people create beautiful homes they can be proud of both in terms of design and sustainability. All backed by exceptional customer experience, we genuinely recognise our customers are the heartbeat of H&W and we’re here to help in any way we can. Of course, with being a new brand we’re up against bigger players but we would encourage customers who wish to shop more consciously to do a bit of research via blogs, online publications and social media for sustainable choices, rather than just revert to the default of mainstream home interior products. By investing a bit of time, we can all do our bit to help the environment and if we all start to make small changes, the collective impact will be much greater! What is the most sustainable product you offer? We’re really excited about our exclusive range of sustainably made, handcrafted pendant lights from an emerging British maker, Moom, based in Bournemouth. They use a traditional method of manufacture called 'metal spinning' in which a metal disc is shaped in a similar way to clay being formed in a potter's wheel. They breathe new life into disused moulds (known as chucks) that would otherwise have been discarded and consigned to the scrap heap. In a former life, they may have been used to create anything from airplane nose-cones to gas cylinders to musical instruments but now they live on and are used to create Moom’s beautiful light collection. It’s this sustainable loop of reusing old materials and reducing waste to create long lasting, design-led lighting, that really fits so well with us here at H&W. There are six different pendant style lights that will complement any home or commercial interiors: The Callisto is perhaps the most classic of the range yet in a modern contemporary style and available in a variety of classic and contemporary colours. The neck of the lights is finished in either brass or copper and there’s a colour complementary fabric braided cable, which creates a stunning lamp suited to living, dining and kitchen spaces as well as commercial spaces. Price £185

The Maha takes the lead from fisherman’s lamps! It’s a modern take on a classic style that combines stunning contemporary finishes and beech wood, paired with a colour coordinated fabric braided cable. They look stunning in kitchen and dining spaces. From £195 The Murama is aviation inspired. It takes its shape and design from an airplane nosecone and is definitely a statement light, yet maintains a simple, clean design. Finished in both striking colours (check out the bold orange!) as well more classic shades, it works really well in both larger living and commercial spaces. Price £180 The Aku is the baby of the Moom collection but its size doesn’t detract from its understated style. In stunning colours or natural lacquered copper, brass or aluminium finishes, complemented by a hand-turned wooden top and colour coordinated fabric braided cable, they’re perfect paired up in a dining or living space. They will add contemporary charm in abundance. Price £170 The Artemis is a traditionally styled pendant light with a twist. Its powder coated finishes create a stunning contemporary look. There is a range of metal finishes available - copper, brass or aluminium, which can be left 'raw' to age naturally for a real industrial look, or they can be lacquered to maintain a newer, more modern look. The lights are complemented by colour coordinated hanging chains and fabric braided cables. The flexibility of the Artemis allows it to work in many living, dining and commercial spaces. Price from £190 The Oberon is perhaps the boldest light of the Moom collection. The bulbous shape of the Oberon is unlike any other light out there but the grill and rivets give it a more traditional appearance. It’s an industrial styled and finished pendant light that can be left ‘raw’ to age or lacquered for a more fine style, complemented by colour coordinated hanging chains and fabric braided cables. It’s a statement lamp that works really well in larger home and commercial spaces. Price from £195 All Moom lights are expertly handmade in Bournemouth using high quality, real sheet metals. They are not plated on top of cheaper materials. It takes years to acquire the skill and experience of this trade and the lovely guys behind Moom have over 50 years of it! Previous page from top left: ARTEMIS | AKU CALLISTO | MAHA

Where do you see your business in future and how you are planning to get there? We’re six months into the H&W journey and we launched our website just last month but we have big ambitions! We’re currently working hard on multiple fronts to find new makers and suppliers that fit our style and ethos, adding new products to the website and most importantly, trying to shout about who we are and what we do. You’ll find us on Instagram and Facebook (@hemmingandwills), sharing home interiors inspiration together with our great products. We also want to collaborate with other like-minded businesses on competitions, mutually beneficial marketing activities and events. Furthermore, we’re embarking on a range of PR and Influencer activity over the coming months, so we’re on the lookout for inspiring and aligned home interiors and sustainable/ethical blogs, online publications and Instagram accounts. Over the coming years, we’ll be looking to expand into other product sectors such as outdoor furniture, new markets other than the UK and we hope to open a showroom around the North West. It doesn’t stop there though, we’re also joining 1% for the Planet shortly, which aligns really well with our values. We’ll be donating 1% of all sales revenue to this great charity and through it, we’ll be working with UK environmental charities such as the Marine Conservation Society to support their great work to keep our seas clean! As we grow, we’ll be looking to partner with charities including those in the mental health and LGBT sectors, with the aim of reaching 3% of revenue donations each year. For us, it’s about more than profit!

Brand website: hemmingandwills.co.uk IG @hemmingandwills 23

London Bathers

Refillable beauty interview by Karolina Barnes, photography provided by Chris Long

athrooms are often a sea of plastic. That's why it's always great to hear about brands

that try their best to change that. Let me introduce you to London Bathers, a family-run, independent company on a mission to offer high quality, low impact bathroom products and accessories. In this interview I chat to Chris Long about his journey of starting the business, the company's sustainable ethos, finding beauty in minimalist packaging and building a community of eco-conscious customers.

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Longer term we would love to work with a community of like-minded stockists who share similar ethos to ours, making a difference environmentally while supporting Britain's manufacturing industry.

Jillian Dempsey

Left: London Bathers bar soap range, from a series of shots exploring clay, texture and natural materials.

Let’s start from the beginning. What has been your journey so far and how did you come up with the idea for London Bathers? You could say it’s been a journey of multiple discoveries so far. Starting any new business takes you outside all sorts of comfort zones as you negotiate the planned and unplanned aspects of launching, then running your business. As an advertising creative from an agency background, I’m used to having a specialised role within a wider team. Now I am the team! Which means my briefs cover everything from product development to promotion, packing, logistics and finance. But that’s fine. It’s part of the reason I started the business, to explore creativity beyond a traditional brief. The idea for London Bathers came from an overlapping set of requirements. I wanted a business that makes a difference environmentally because I’m passionate about looking after the planet we share. I also love Britain’s rich manufacturing history, so I wanted to tap into that. Finally, the business had to be a creative outlet, whether that’s expressed in products, design, events or getting hands-on with packaging. What did you find most challenging before launch and after launch? There were so many challenges before launch - most real, some imagined! I think the biggest challenge was tipping myself over the edge and taking on the risk. It means going from planning, testing and mockups, to investing real money in actually bringing the idea to market. That’s a big leap to take, and there are so many reasons not to take it. A close second for me was finding manufacturers and suppliers who fit my ethos, or who were even willing to listen to me. I had my share of let-downs and false starts. Post-launch, the biggest challenge is about creating awareness of your brand on budgets that are stretched in so many different directions. Your brand story is based around building a community. How do you approach your marketing activities and strategy? We’re looking to appeal to people who appreciate quality products and good design, but who don’t want the plastic trail and sense of single-use waste that so many of today’s products come with. Building that community of like-minded customers is about showing the way and communicating what we’re doing. Everything from delivering on foot within our local area, using plain cardboard packaging, paying to take back our own refill pouches for recycling or getting involved with rewilding projects. It’s also about building a community of like-minded stockists so that their ethos is reflected in our products and vice versa.

Tell us more about your products and the ethos of London Bathers? Our founding ethos is about the stripped-back simplicity of taking a bath or shower. That informed our choices around pure ingredients, refillable and recyclable packaging and our minimalist aesthetic. What we’ve launched with is a collection of bathing essentials: handmade bar soaps and shampoo bars, organic liquid shower gels and hand cleansers, Dead Sea and Himalayan soaking salts and a range of bathroom accessories. We sourced beautiful glass bottles for our liquid cleansers because we think this sort of packaging should be refilled and reused. We designed custom wall brackets and soap dishes to fit our products and have them made by a brilliant company near Portsmouth. We’re starting to expand our range by sourcing products from independent, authentic companies that share our ethos. And this is opening up a different aspect of community for us, as we become part of a small ecosystem of makers and suppliers that we feel a real affinity with.

What product would you recommend us to try first and why? That’s a tough one - it’s like showing favouritism to one of your children! I was going to say one of our four bar soaps because they’re so nice to use and are completely plastic free. We put them in eco boxes made in Britain from recycled cardboard, then ship them in rigid cardboard envelopes. Because they fit through most letterboxes, it means Royal Mail can deliver the majority of them on foot, so we’re not adding more courier van journeys to the roads. But I think our cleansers in glass bottles epitomise our brand because of the refill and reuse aspect. They’re organic, are lovely and silky on the skin and smell amazing as well. They look great in modern or traditional bathrooms and I love the way they look on the wall in one of our powder coated brackets. Did I mention how good the soaking salts are?

Brand website: londonbathers.co.uk IG: @londonbathers

CHAPTER TWO

MAKERS

CHANGE

definition

Changemakers are creative minds who are on a mission to change the world for the better. They spend a lot of time researching, gathering information, knowledge and resources which help them in making that change happen. Sometimes changemakers see small details in problems the world is facing and use them as their starting point of their story. Here we share some of those stories.

BLACK BOOK As we are passionate about finding the best stories of creatives, designers and artists, we spend a great amount of our time scanning the market. We want you to be the first hearing about the amazing talent and brands we have on our doorstep. This BLACK BOOK has two purposes - a filter of quality and resource of industry contacts.

ART & INTERIORS

NATALIA LEWANDOWSKA

GRAEME HOPPER

PIA DESIGN

artist

interior designer

e:ne.lewandowska@gmail.com

e:grassiman@yahoo.com

e:pia@piadesign.co.uk

w: natalialewandowska.co.uk

w: grassiart.com

w: piadesign.co.uk

@natalia.lewandowska.art

@grasssiasssi

@piainteriordesign

HOMEWARE, TEXTILES & FURNITURE

HEMMING & WILLS

ADVENTURES IN FURNITURE

CLAIRE GAUDION

furniture store

artisan textile design

e: care@hemmingandwills.co.uk

e: sales@adventuresinfurniture.com

e: info@clairegaudion.com

w: hemmingandwills.co.uk

w: aif.london

w: clairegaudion.com

@hemmingandwills

@adventuresinfurniture

@clairegaudion

homeware store

FASHION & BEAUTY

VALENTINA KARELLAS

BLACK & SIGI

LONDON BATHERS

SKIN ALCHEMISTS

knitwear brand

jewellery brand

beauty brand

skincare brand

e: info@valentinakarellas.com

e:creations@blackandsigi.com

e: hello@londonbathers.co.uk

e: care@skinalchemists.com

w: valentinakarellas.com

w: blackandsigi.com

w: londonbathers.co.uk

w:skinalchemists.com

@vkarellas

@blackandsigi

@londonbathers

@skinalchemists

CREATIVE SERVICES

DONNA FORD

NOCERA & FERRI

POD

corporate packaging

ERICA WOLFE-MURRAY

personal brand photographer

creative photographers

e: skirtingboardsandchandeliers@gmail.com

e: info@noceraferri.com

e: sales@podpackaging.com

e:info@ericawolfemurray.co.uk

w: donnaford.co.uk

w: noceraferri.com

w: podpackaging.com

w: lola-media.co.uk

@donnafordography

@noceraferri

@pod_sustainablestore

@lola.media

business & innovation expert

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