Last Tuesday, I was invited along to the Scottish Furniture & Interiors Exhibition at Clerkenwell Design Week, set in the House of Detention, in Clerkenwell, central London. It has been hard to not know that this exciting week was on, due to the neon pink advertisements adorned throughout London, and what a great showcase the Scottish Furniture & Interior Design team put on.
Having long been a firm supporter of Scottish talent and design, even I have to admit that furniture is often overlooked in favour of textiles and jewellery. However, the Clerkenwell and Farringdon area wholeheartedly supports furniture design and innovation, making it the ideal setting for Scottish designers to exhibit their wares in. With design stores and boutique interior stores a-plenty, this pocket of London seeps out with creativity and talent, making it the ultimate 'go to' destination for those looking to infuse their homes with latest interior styles and trends.
The Scottish Furniture & Interiors was set in the atmospheric House of Detention, a supposedly haunted catacomb under Clerkenwell grounds built in 1617. Once a prison, the location is now used amongst local creative types in the art and film industry, making it the perfect 'cubby hole' to showcase Scotland's interior design talent.
Dazzling colours, textiles and mediums set against the grey stone of this old building created a very atmospheric showcase, with finishing touches including Irvine Welsh novels, Irn Bru and Tunnock's Tea Cakes. The showcase featured works by an array of Scottish based designers which included textile brands Timorous Beasties, Harris Tweed, Turnberry Rug Works, Calzeat, Bespoke Atelier and Begg Scotland and furniture makers such as METHOD Furniture, John Galvin Design and Daniel Lacey.
The sheer amount of innovation in the pieces on display was clear to the naked eye, and reinforced Textiles Scotland message of Scotland being a world leader of creative talent. Arguably, Scotland has produced the greats including Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Gillespie & Scott, and fashion designers Louise Gray - who has recently announced a collaboration with Topshop, Holly Fulton, Christopher Kane and Jonathan Saunders, which serves to justify Textiles Scotlands message.
Notable favourites at the showcase included Turnberry Rug Works recycled red cashmere rug, made from the excess material produced by Johnstons of Elgin (20 tonnes of the stuff!). Eco friendly and aestheically pleasing, the rug on closer inspection had an array of yellows, blacks, blue and oranges, made all the more intriguing by the story of how it came to be. METHOD Furniture's concept of reworking the age old 'travellers suitcase' into a modern case for 21st Century textile designers really grabbed my attention. I also particularly enjoyed METHOD Furniture's tattooist designed and illustrator scribed cubes, which would make for the perfect addition to young, hipster-esque apartments from Glasgow's West End to London's Hoxton Square. With interest from designer stores in China, this is one Scottish designer to watch.
Mention must also go to Glasgow based textile designer Bespoke Atelier's hanging wall frame, reworked on printed wood. Featuring an aerial view of Glasgow's rooftops, the witty use of combining textiles and furniture with our beloved Glasgow was a really clever and wonderful piece of artistry.
Here's selection of photographs from the showcase:
About the Scottish Furniture & Interiors Exhibition at Clerkenwell Design Week
Clerkenwell Design Week welcomes a unique Scottish showcase to the House of Detention this year. The first-ever exhibition of its kind, supported by Scottish Enterprise, will display quality pieces from some of the country's leading interior textiles companies / designers and furniture makers. Scotland has a rich heritage in both interior textiles design and furniture making, which fuse the use of traditional materials with innovative techniques and unrivalled creativity. As well as signature pieces, the Scottish collection display one-off collaborations which highlights the exclusive offering from north of the border.
About Textiles Scotland
Textiles Scotland was established by the Scottish Textile Industry Association (STIA) to increase awareness of the scope and scale of businesses involved in the Scottish textiles and fashion industry. This brand has been created to represent Scottish interests at international events and provide a single point of contact for the industry.
Textiles Scotland holds regular forums on industry issues and opportunities that help to determine its future.
About the Scottish Furniture Makers Association
The Scottish Furniture Makers' Association is one of the largest and most diverse groups of bespoke furniture makers in Britain. The aim of the SFMA is to promote the finest in craftsmanship and design through the work of its members, and to develop a wider public awareness of contemporary furniture design in Scotland.
About Clerkenwell Design Week
The design week, situated in Clerkenwell – an area renowned for more architects and interior designers per square mile than anywhere else in the world – is a three-day festival celebrating design's creative richness, social relevance and technological advancements through an exciting programme of workshops, presentations, product launches and debates. Last year 24,000 people from the design community, as well as the general public, flocked to Clerkenwell. Now in its third year, the 2012 event looks to be its biggest yet.
Let's long hope Textiles Scotland continues to hold shows like this, as not only does it benefit and support young designers, but really demonstrates the witty, innovative and clever design talent that permeates throughout Scotland.
Now, go check out these designers!
Emma x
*** All photographs courtesy of Weber Shandwick on behalf of Textile Scotland.
