Behind The Design

You are listening to Behind the Design the Studio Lessons. Which brings us to the end of season 4. I want to thank all of my guests for taking the time to chat and give us a behind the scenes look into their design journeys.

We’ve had some truly insightful conversations. And despite the uncertainty that continues to surround us at the time of recording there is a lot of hope and optimism and just getting on with things because we cannot and will not let a pandemic stop us from expressing ourselves and achieving our potential.

This is episode #5 where I am joined by designer Natsai Audrey Chieza.

ABOUT Natsai:

Natsai is a designer working at the intersection of technology science and nature and society. She is the founder of Faber Futures an R & D agency that is creating new spaces and strategies that relate to climate change and biodiversity loss, and the social structures that underpin our human survival. In our conversation, Natsai explains bio-design talking us through this exciting emerging technology and the implications it has on devising and creating better sustainable design solutions for our world.

We talk about:

• The meaning of bio-design and why it matters
• Looking at alternatives to harmful materials and substances such as plastic and petroleum
• Finding solutions to problematic processes on an environmental and social level
• Cultivating and designing with living organisms
• What is it like to work with biology in a creative context where you start and what do you do
• Working with nature not against it
• The correlation between design and science how the two meet
• How she got into bio-design
• The real-world applications of bio-design and the other materials that can be created and applied the problems of fashion being a heavily polluting industry
• Responsible production in industry
• Why Natsai chose to start her company Faber Futures How having her own practice enables her to explore her ideas and work with the right teams and clients

Links and resources mentioned in this episode:

MA Central St Martins University College London Adidas x Stella McCartney Bolt Threads developed Mylo in partnership with Ecovative TEDTalk Fashion Has A Pollution Problem - Can Biology Fix It? CooperHewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum The Design Museum Gingko BioWorks Central St Martins MA Biodesign Bio-Integrated Design (Bio-ID) Bartlett School of Architecture BioDesign Challenge Global Community Bio Summit MIT

Where you can go to find out more about Natsai and Faber Futures:

https://faberfutures.com

Get the full show notes at: www.atelier55design.com/podcast 

Behind the Design is brought to you by atelier 55

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This is episode #4 where I am joined by object designer and academic Dr Pam Samasuwo-Nyawiri.

ABOUT Pam:

Pam is a multi-award-winning accessories designer, educator, and author, with her own label called Vanhu Vamwe. Her experiences of working with artisans and feeling personally part of the problem of exploiting vulnerable communities led Pam to study a PhD where she could explore the impact designers working with artisans have on their lives and how to make the process better by bringing true, sustainable value to these communities.

We talk about:

• The struggle with having too many ideas, choosing what to focus on, and managing her time will juggling multiple projects
• The creativity of discipline
• Quitting her job and going back to university to study fashion
• Not being allowed  to explore her creativity as a child, and the changing attitudes to pursuing a creative career particularly for those from an African background
• The role of culture and the futuristic aspect of her designs
• Her thoughts on cultural appropriation and finding common ground
• How sustainable design shows up in her work and the need to be transparent in her work with different cultures
• The difference between partnerships and collaboration
• How your attitude shapes your work
• Doing her country proud, and being recognised as a designer and not just a black designer
• How accountability partners and her faith help to keep her grounded
• Publishing a book
• How she challenges herself to grow and develop her craft

Links and resources mentioned in this episode:

Loughborough University Nottingham Trent Design School Abury A Woman with No Country

Where you can go to find out more about Pam and her work:

Vanhu Vanmwe

Get the full show notes at: www.atelier55design.com/podcast 

Behind the Design is brought to you by atelier 55

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This is episode #3 where I am joined by jewellery designer Audrey Migot-Adholla.

ABOUT AUDREY:

Audrey is the founder of Yala Jewellery an award-winning made in Kenya jewellery brand. In our conversation we talk about the meaning of sustainable luxury, collaborating with her artisan producers across continents, managing a business during a global health crisis, her thoughts on the spotlight being shone on black creatives as a result of Black Lives Matter.

We talk about:

• Juggling all the hats in business
• What led her to start a jewellery brand
• What it is like working the 9-5 then 5-9
• The role of mentors in helping her to start and grow her business
• Finding brand focus and how she did that
• Managing time and energy while going through the process
• Perfection - outsourcing weaknesses as much as she can
• Successfully working and collaborating with artisans
• Harnessing the power of networks to find people to work with
• Making the partnerships work across different continents, the role of technology, working out what can be done, and managing quality control
• Her sampling process
• The importance of sustainable luxury
• Getting Certified B Corp
• Managing Logistics
• Managing a business during a global health crisis
• The impact of BLM and the conflicted feelings as a result of the increased attention on black creative businesses
• How to stay the course

Links and resources mentioned in this episode:

Etsy

The Wayback Machine

London College of Fashion

Shopify

WhatsApp

Certified B Corporation

The Guardian Newspaper

Ella’s Kitchen

Companies House

What it feels like to keep a small business going during a global health crisis

@influencerpaygap

Where you can go to find out more about Audrey and Yala Jewellery: www.yalajewellery.com

@yalajewellery

Get the full show notes at: www.atelier55design.com/podcast 

Behind the Design is brought to you by atelier 55

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This is episode #2 where I am joined by architect and product designer Tosin Oshinowo.

ABOUT TOSIN:

Tosin is an architect with her own architectural practice called C M Design Atelier. She is also a product designer designing furniture using local fabrics under the brand Ilé Ilà. In our conversation, we talk about establishing her name as an architect in an industry with a notoriously high barrier to entry, cultivating the confidence needed to win contracts and the business support essentials that have enabled her to start and managing multiple businesses.

We talk about:

• What inspired her interest in architecture and led her to set up her architectural studio C M Design Atelier
• The process of establishing herself as an architect
• How working from a place of insecurity is a strength
• The importance of presentation to build trust
• The importance of understanding the basics of setting up a business, being honest about your capabilities, and getting the skills you need
• Having a circle of people she can call on for help and advice
• Managing client and money relationships
• The types of projects she works on and developing her design signature
• Designing for the local environment and being aware of how people use space
• Her thoughts on the development of architecture across the African continent
• The impact of Covid on her practice and the local architecture/construction industry
• Embracing multiple income streams
• The opportunity that led to the creation of her chair design business
• Navigating the process of getting product to market
• Managing multiple businesses

Links and resources mentioned in this episode

Maryland Mall

Kingston University

University College London (UCL)

OMA

Where you can go to find out more about Tosin, CMD Atelier and Ilé Ilà: www.cmdesign-atelier.com

@cmdesign_atelier

www.ile-ila.com

@ile.ila

Get the full show notes at: www.atelier55design.com/podcast 

Behind the Design is brought to you by atelier 55

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This is episode #1 where I am joined by textile designer Eno Jonah.

ABOUT ENO: Eno is the founder of Nzuri Textiles, a brand of exquisitely handcrafted textiles with a focus on sustainable luxury. In our conversation Eno talks about the inspiration behind her designs, what sustainable luxury means to her, preserving artisan skills, and takes us on the journey from an idea through to finished textile.

We talk about:

• Travelling and learning from other cultures
• Finding also that last and can be recycled
• The stories behind her designs
• The journey of a textile from an idea to finished product
• The meaning of sustainable luxury
• The journey of setting up a business
• Connecting to showrooms and how to find reps
• Getting her name out there and building visibility
• The impact of Black Lives Matter, and the need to keep the conversation going
• How she keeps challenging herself to grow as a designer

Links and resources mentioned in this episode

Atelier Qubere New York Gallery Moyi Magazine Maker Amsterdam

Where you can go to find out more about Eno and Nzuri Textiles: https://nzuritextiles.com/

@nzuritextiles1217

Get the full show notes at: www.atelier55design.com/podcast 

Behind the Design is brought to you by atelier 55

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A warm welcome to Season 4 of Behind the Design. Introducing another stellar line up my guests this season come from the worlds of textiles, architecture, product, and fashion design. Not to mention delving into academia, science and technology and their influences on design practice and the future of design.

Just before launching this season atelier 55 my platform behind the podcast reached a significant milestone, by marking a decade of blogging curating and writing about contemporary design from Africa and beyond. Without atelier 55 and the amazing journey, it has led me on this podcast may not have come to light. Whilst celebrating the milestone and recording the season 4 episodes it almost slipped my mind that It has been a year since Behind the Design launched. Another milestone to celebrate and a huge thank you to you for downloading and listening, and may you be inspired by the season 4 conversations.

You are listening to Behind the Design episode #7 the Studio Lessons. Which brings us to the end of season 3. I want to thank all of my guests for taking the time to chat especially during the circumstances we currently find ourselves in to give us a behind the scenes look into their design journeys. They like most of us have experienced the upheaval and uncertainty of navigating their way through a pandemic and having to continually adapt as the world finds its way towards some sense of stability. And while we can never be sure about what tomorrow will bring their hope, optimism and can-do attitude helps them cut through the challenges. 

This is episode #6 where I am joined by fashion designer and entrepreneur Mariatu Turay-Akar.

ABOUT MARITAU: You are listening to episode number 6 of season 3. And joining me on the show is Mariatu Turay-Akar. Mariatu is the founder of Gitas Portal a London-based mid-luxury fashion brand that uses vibrant African wax cloth textiles to celebrate and promote cultural diversity. We talk about using fashion to inspire and empower women to be bold, how her faith helps her to stay motivated and push past the challenges of running a business, and how Gitas Portal has become a place of connectivity and healing for her clients. So let’s begin…

We talk about:

• Gitas Portal a platform to empower women and using it to tell the stories of women
• Her role in promoting a positive image of brand Africa and telling our own stories
• What led to her starting her own business
• The politics of African fashion and prints
• The impact wearing colour has on ourselves and those around us
• Managing the negativity and flipping that into positive
• Growing up with role models who were fighters in what they believe in
• Standing her ground
• Staying relevant in changing times
• How nurturing and listening to her customers has helped her stay relevant
• Practicing self-care in business
• The meaning behind the name Gitas Portal?
• Realising when it was time to leave her business
• Recognising the signs that you are meant to be doing something

Links and resources mentioned in this episode

Where you can go to find out more about Mariatu and Gitas Portal: https://www.gitasportal.com

@gitasportal

Get the full show notes at: www.atelier55design.com/podcast 

Behind the Design is brought to you by atelier 55

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This is episode #5 of season 3 Where I am joined by furniture and product designer Jomo Tariku.

ABOUT JOMO: 

You are listening to episode number 5 of season 3. And joining me on the show is Jomo Tariku. Jomo is an Ethiopian / American artist and furniture designer. His company Jomo Furnitures creates pieces inspired by classical African design icons reinterpreting the forms for modern living.

We talk about:

• The inspiration behind his designs and celebrating the diversity in African creativity
• What being a member of The Black Artists and Designers Guild, has had on raising awareness of his work
• Having a full-time day job and how he makes time to work on Jomo Furniture
• Finding suitable manufacturers to work with to realise his designs
• His thoughts on African design looking back on when he started to where he is now
• Underrepresentation of African design and black designers in general in the global design industry

Links and resources mentioned in this episode

Kansas University

Addis Design Week

Dubai Design Week

Contemporary Design Africa

Malene Barnett

Black Artists and Designers Guild

Milan Design Week

Where you can go to find out more about Jomo Furniture:

www.jomofurniture.com

@jomofurniture

Get the full show notes at: www.atelier55design.com/podcast 

Behind the Design is brought to you by atelier 55

Continue the conversation, follow atelier 55 on:

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