Clerkenwell Design Week 2012: No.5

S/S/A/W SHOWSTOPPER: the installation from textile designer Eleanor Ross.

Various collaborations were evident at the show, Eleanor Ross and Antron met moving away from their comfort zones to demonstrate creativity and versatility all round. String art / design is very relevant and Eleanor has offered a highly desirable rendition of the genre that she should take and translate into a collection of homeware. I wanted to find out a little more from Eleanor :

1- Why did you decide to exhibit at Clerkenwell?

I was approached by Antron carpet fibre as it sought a new way to engage with architects and designers working in the commercial arena. Antron wanted to team up with a designer that could put a fresh and interesting spin on carpet fibre, getting designers to think a bit more about carpet. It’s quite easy to forget that carpet is a complex product of many
ingredient parts and hopefully the installation addressed this, opening people’s minds to the intricacy and detail in something as apparently simple as a carpet. With Clerkenwell’s audience and fresh approach to an industry event, which moves away from the traditional exhibition hall venue, Antron had already decided it wanted to be involved. My involvement and the creation of the installation was to ensure that Antron engaged with its audience in a way that both informed and inspired.

2- How would you describe the atmosphere?

The whole show seems to haves a real energy about it, a buzz that seems to find a way to everyone, even within the dark and mysterious House of Detention. I think the lovely weather, parties and the relaxed approach of everyone involved really helped too.

3- If you could pick 1 thing for your home for the show what would it be?

It would have to be the Manolo Lounger Chair by John Galvin. I’ve exhibited at a few of the same exhibitions as John over the last couple of years and I’m always blown away by the workmanship of his pieces. They are truly beautiful pieces of furniture but the Manolo chair is definitely my favourite, I just love its femininity and softness. Apparently there isn’t one single 90 degree angle in the entire piece.

4- What has been the highlight of your show?

To have my human sized installation create so much interest was the real highlight, it’s always nice to have your work receive appreciation in the public domain. Other than that, I didn’t really have too much of a chance to walk around as I was kept pretty busy with visitors, but one of the ‘I wants’ from the show was definitely the La Boite concept. A docking table for your laptop it also packs in some powerful speakers and they really kept the party going throughout the event with some fab tunes.

5- What trends are you working on?

As a textile designer by trade I work to many different trends, depending on my client and who they are trying to target. For personal work, I often start collections with drawings and photography and then focus in on different sections to translate into fabric. I’m a little bit fixated with contrasting geometric patterns and fibres at the moment.

6- Who stopped by your stand?

That’s the good thing about Clerkenwell, you get a really good mix of people coming along. We had everyone from design bloggers, interior designers and design students through to architects and buyers from some really big brands. I managed to make a few really great contacts for the future and Antron carpet fibre was delighted with the raising of its profile and the leads it generated from the event.

7- What is your top tip for the show?

Just like the Scouts, always be prepared. A big stack of business cards and also some information specifically relating to what you are exhibiting are absolutely vital. People are often interested in what they are seeing, more than who made it so make sure they can take something away that reinforces the connection. It could just be a postcard, but for Clerkenwell we produced a brochure detailing our work. Given that it is a one-off and not for sale, we wanted people to have a permanent reminder of the installation. The biggest tip has to be to plan. The more you plan, the less likely things are to go wrong.