Up With The Lark And

Welcome to Episode Nine in our series on Hope.

In this episode we speak with Georgia Spray founder of Partnership Editions about the Hope of Collecting Art. Partnership Editions aim to make remarkable art accessible to all by offering an online platform married with events, collecting advice and a creative community. They work alongside exciting, emerging artists such as Christabel Blackburn, Richard Hart, Hester Finch, Charlotte Eady and Fee Greening to name but a few. There are six ‘drops’ a year which sell out quickly - you have to be fast off the mark when you get that email.

Georgia has put together a glorious alternative to aloof white boxes, frenzied art fairs, hastily bought posters and blank walls. As we spend ever more time at home, the art we surround ourselves with seems more important. More impactful. More intrinsic to our every day lives. The approach of Partnership Editions is accessible, vivacious and dynamic - you can’t help but get drawn in. The approach to the new climate has also been really proactive and refreshing - lots to learn for us all!

In this episode we are going to hear about Georgia’s early years in the art world, the idea of Partnership Editions, how it moved from a ‘side-hustle’ to a full time enterprise, how it has evolved over time, curating her artists, modern day collectors, the impact of Covid-19 (of course) and her hope for the future.

Partnership Editions: www.partnershipeditions.com

Welcome to Episode Eight in our series on Hope.

In this episode, Molly Mahon and I consider the hope of the unexpected. We delve into the story of her eponymous company which designs and creates glorious block printed fabrics and wallpapers. You will hear all about that Shepherds Hut, how happenstance became a business, the methodical, mesmerising, meditative power of block printing, her breadth of reference from Jaipur to Charleston, unexpected success, the chapter entitled ‘lockdown’ and the magical marriage of potato and paint.

Molly has been on my list of dream clients for a very long time. A very long time. I love her approach - a heady mix of joy, courage and determination. Molly carries her talent, focus and resilience with an ease and lightness of touch and in this conversation you will hear more about her story, her business and her hope for the future.

You will finish this episode uplifted, recommitted to trusting your gut, encouraged and off to the pantry to hunt down a suitable potato!

Molly Mahon: www.mollymahon.com
Charleston: www.charleston.org.uk
House of Print by Molly Mahon: www.waterstones.com/book/house-of-print/molly-mahon/9781911641223

Welcome to Episode Seven in our series on Hope. Today we are delving into the space where fashion, technology and sustainability meet. Where each enhances the other and offers the hope of conscious fashion, and perhaps also the hope of innovation.

Our guest is Eshita Kabra founder of By Rotation which is the UK's first and only fashion rental platform. The aim is a good one - to transform the way that we consume fashion - and it is beautifully executed. Eshita shares the principles, values and motivations behind the concept. Enterprises like this one really can act as catalysts for change and I think that it will be exciting to see what the future holds.

We hear about the genesis of the idea, the concept, the launch, leaving the corporate life behind, the joy of building community, balancing commerce and creativity by building a great team and her hope for the future.

I have had the pleasure of meeting lots of creatives both as clients and podcast guests. What is wonderful for me is that Eshita started her journey not at art school or as a fashion intern, but in finance. We hear a different perspective and point of view on creativity. And we also get to ask 'where you the best dressed girl in economics class?'!

I hope that you will be encouraged by Eshita's approach and optimism - I certainly was!

By Rotation: www.byrotation.com

Welcome to Episode 6 in our series on Hope.

As we have all been forced to slow down, we have been given the opportunity to consider more carefully what it is that we buy, what it is made of and who made it. So I wanted to explore the idea of pursuing quality of quantity. And that is exactly what we debate in this episode with Alice Byron founder of Blake LDN.

Their mission is to create contemporary knitwear with a clean and understated aesthetic and it is worn by the likes of Alexa Coe, Alice Archer and Matilda Goad. The focus is on craftsmanship, provenance and quality. So who better to explore this topic!

We hear about the story behind Blake LDN, starting out in fashion, yarn yarn yarn, what quality means to Alice, leaving successful wholesale behind to embrace direct to customer, processing the value of a pause (for a pandemic or motherhood), sustainability, other brands and businesses that she admires, the impact of lockdown and her hope for the future of quality in fashion.

Blake Ldn: www.blake-ldn.com

Patagonia: www.patagonia.com
Alighieri: www.alighieri.co.uk
Everlane: www.everlane.com
Jessie Harris: www.jessieharris.co.uk
Stella McCartney's Mission Statement: www.stellamccartney.com/experience/en/sustainability/themes/mission-statement/
Petalon: www.petalon.co.uk

Welcome to Episode Five in our podcast series on Hope. Given how much time we have all been spending at home, it seemed obvious that I needed to explore the Hope of Home. To do that, I wrote out a wish list of interior designers and today’s guest was right at the top of that list. This is a huge career highlight for me, and I haven’t slept a wink because we have got the incredible Rachel Chudley joining us today!

She is a shining star of the interior design world. Her projects require more than a momentary pause to admire, they invite a lingering exploration. They are eclectic, maximalist, filled with wonderful art and doused in colour. She is one of life’s enthusiasts and her joyful, intelligent approach is simply infectious.

In a recent House and Garden article, she referenced a John Ruskin quote that ‘a great colour is one that you can’t quite find the right name for’ and this certainly applies to Rachel’s style and projects. Her work is simply just outside the grasp of us ordinary folk!

We are going to find out about her path to having her own design studio, the part privilege and kindness have played, what home means to her, the huge importance of colour in her life, running her own design studio and her hope for the future of home.

This is an extra long episode because I just couldn't cut anything out - Rachel's train of thought is so interesting. She takes the scenic route and goodness me, it's wonderful!

Rachel Chudley: www.rachelchudley.com

Welcome to Episode Four of our series on Hope.

One of the good things that has come from this season has been the heightened awareness of locality - the walks, the buildings, the people and the independent shops. It is just that that we are going to explore today - the Hope of Independent Shops.

And our guest today is Florence Dixon, founder of the Tidy Street General Store in Brighton. Florence’s shop is endlessly enticing. In fact, I don’t think that I have ever left empty-handed. Within this jewel of space, alongside a carefully selected rail of fabulous clothes, you will marble counters shot through with vivid green displaying homewares, sweet treats and a constantly evolving range of discoveries. Tidy Street is curation at its best.

We are going to hear about the story of Tidy Street, the joy of shopkeeping, the wonderful community of independent shops in Brighton, how Florence went about putting the space together, the wonderful companies that she works with, how her customer and the world is changing and, finally, her hope for the future of independent shops.

Tidy Street General Store: www.tidystreetstore.com
Cawley: www.cawleystudio.com
Maison Bengal: www.maisonbengal.co.uk

This week has all been all about the next generation and this episode is a special little something to celebrate yet another Friday in lockdown - it's about the joy of creative children.
It seems to me that as creative business owners, the responsibility and pressure of making good and right decisions can be overwhelming, draining and bewildering. Are we getting it right? Are we brave enough to try something new? How can we give back? How do we stick to our values? Are we setting a good example to our children?
Today's guest is the perfect antidote to all of that. Clemence Currie is the daughter of Kristina Currie founder of Bon Tot and the delightful guest back in Episode 22. Clemence is a delightful breath of fresh air! I hope that you will enjoy a lighthearted 10 minutes with this exuberant creative who is certainly destined for great things. Holly Tucker is a huge fan and so am I! If ever the phrase 'out of the mouth of babes' applied, it's here! I hope you enjoy Clemence's joyful story!

Welcome to Episode Three of our series on Hope. Today we are thinking about the hope of creative children. At this time of ‘home schooling’, I think that many of us have come to see how important and rewarding it is to foster creativity in the next generation.

Our guest today lives and breathes this sentiment. Alara Hindle is the co-founder of Lots of Lovely Art. They aim to support creativity in children through art. The sad decline of art education in schools motivated Alara and her sister-in-law Selina to do something about it. They run art clubs, pop up workshops, birthday parties and art groups for tiny toddlers. They also create extraordinary art boxes. Each is themed, contains lots of information and activities as well as being jam packed with beautiful art materials. I can’t tell you the relief I felt when I discovered LOLA - its bought art into our home and the fridge has never been so beautifully adorned. Frankly, other than the milkman, it’s the only subscription service that never disappoints.

We are going to find out about where the idea came from, the importance of championing creativity in children, running a subscription services, creativity in business and enjoying a family firm and the hope of changing perceptions of art education in this time of national home schooling.

Lots of Lovely Art: www.lotsoflovelyart.org

Long before lockdown, I invited Caroline Kent of Scribble and Daub to join me on the podcast to discuss the challenge and thrill of finding, signing and working with stockists. I was so struck by her great directory of stockists ranging from national treasures, galleries and little gems both here and across the globe that I could not resist asking her to share her secret! Amazingly, Caroline agreed and we sat in her delightful kitchen, drank black coffee and delved into the story of Scribble and Daub.

At the time, pandemic was a concept not the global tragedy it has become. Caroline and I have both been incredibly grateful to be able to shelter safely in our respective Sussex cottages and are acutely aware of how very lucky we are. And it is just that sense of gratitude that has shone through in Caroline’s response to this time - she has celebrated #youarewhatyougive, encouraging us all to send a card, to take time to sit down and write, to savour the walk to the postbox, to connect, to offer up the thrill of receiving a beautiful hand-written card. And so, I asked Caroline if she would re-record our episode to explore her experience of the pandemic and she graciously agreed.

And so, we talk a great deal about how Scribble and Daub began, how she has developed a thriving business and an incredible directory of stockists, the power of persistence, the impact of Covid-19, that you are what you give and her hope for a future where we continue to create and to cherish one another.

Scribble & Daub: www.scribbleanddaub.com

Welcome to Episode One of the new series on Hope. Today we are going to consider the Hope of Community. It is undeniably one of the realisations of this time. community is what really matters. Whether its clapping on a Thursday evening or a Zoom with your best pals, it is impactful and influential. This is true too in our professional lives - for those in the creative industries and arts, having a great community or network has always been crucial and now more than ever. But it isn't always easy to find. No one knows this better than Joanna Payne, founder and director of Marguerite. The aim of Marguerite is to advance the careers of women in the industry by providing a ready-made professional network and space to hear from some of the most influential people working in the creative industries today.

What I particularly admire about what Joanna has done is that she has spotted a gap, a need, a barrier and then gone about doing something about it. And it's that approach which has led Joanna to take Marguerite into a new chapter at this time. At lightening speed I must add. I think that we can all learn a great deal from Joanna's attitude and mentality. She certainly gives me hope!

Marguerite is a wonderful idea, elegantly executed. I hope that you will really enjoy this episode!

Marguerite - www.margueritelondon.com