Emergents Cr&FT;

Emergents showcase our creative talent in the Highlands and Islands, nationally and internationally, through our platform Cr&FT, this forms part of our programme of support for professional craft makers and fashion designers provided throughout the year.

We continue to develop new partnerships and continue previous ones to ensure that our makers have an increasing range of opportunities to promote and showcase their work nationally and internationally.

PRESS ENQUIRIES:

For further details, press releases and images about our Cr&FT designers, visit our PRESS PAGE here and contact us on [email protected]

Follow our Cr&FT social media platforms here:

https://twitter.com/CrFtinfo and www.facebook.com/CrFTemergents

Tweets by @CrFtinfo

RECENT SHOWCASING EVENTS:

Cr&FT at Top Drawer Craft
Olympia, London. 17 - 19 January 2016

Nine top Highlands & Islands designer makers showcased their work at the trade show, CRAFT at Top Drawer, which took place at Olympia in London from Sunday 17^th – Tuesday 19^th January 2016.

Building on the Cr&FT platform which was launched at XPONorth in June 2015, this is Emergents’ third showcase at Craft London. The showcase was made up of 9 designers across textiles, jewellery and fashion. Each designer is at a different stage in their career journey with some already having experience of trading internationally whereas others are new start ups who had not taken part in a trade show before.

Designers Netty Sopata of Diggory Brown, Eileen Gatt, and Gilly Langton exhibited at the event in its first year and returned for the third year with new work. Jewellery Designer Heather McDermott and Textile Designer Emma Noble returned for their second year, with new work and collections to show. New to the event this year were designers Rae Anne, Crùbag, Rarebird and Hume Sweet Hume.

Download our press release about this event here: Press Release Cr&FT for Top Drawer

Meet our Makers: Cr&FT at Craft Central, London
10 - 13 November 2015

Cr&FT at Select
Cheltenham, 23 - 25 October 2015

The Highlands and Islands are recognised as an area that truly values the nurturing of creative talent and we are home to some of the most outstanding and successful creative businesses.

Emergents is a community interest company that supports and develop this talent, from emerging to well established businesses working in craft, fashion and textiles.

Our Cr&FT platform showcases the work of designers from throughout the region and this October we exhibited the work of 4 Highlands and Islands designer/makers at the Select Showcase (presented by SITselect) in Cheltenham from 23 – 25 October 2015.

Emma Noble, Chloë Windle and Rae Anne Sutherland have all participated in the Emergents’ Making Progress for New Start Ups programme and Catherine MacGreur has just taken part in the Crafts Council’s Hothouse 5 programme.

Below is information about each of the designers who took part in this event. You can find out more about the Select Showcase event here: http://sitselect.org/showcase/index.html

XpoNorth 2015 Crafts, Fashion and Textiles Showcase:
6:00pm – 8:00pm, Wednesday 10 June 2015
Venue: MG ALBA Stage at The Ironworks, Inverness

Also from 11am - 5pm at Delegate Centre, Old High Church Halls, Academy Street, Inverness

Emergents showcased the work of 1 1 of the top Highlands and Islands designer makers at XpoNorth.

The XpoNorth Cr&FT platform was both a showcase and a celebration of the most talented designers & makers in craft, fashion & textiles who are currently developing successful businesses in the Highlands & Islands region. The focus of the showcase was to promote the quality and creativity of the businesses involved and the international geographical reach of their products from their base in the area.

DESIGNERS

Paulette Brough
Paulette Brough spent 2 decades in clothing manufacture before moving to the Western Isles and starting Rarebird. Concentrating on handmade quality and clean design her Harris Tweed based accessories sell across Scotland and export to Japan, EU and USA. www.rarebirdhandbags.com, @PauletteBrough

Eileen Gatt
Jewellery designer Eileen Gatt graduated from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art in Dundee over 20 years ago, and then went on to do her Masters at London’s Royal College of Art. Eileen’s work is inspired by her home in the Highlands with its rich cultural heritage, exquisite wildlife and diverse landscapes. www.eileengatt.co.uk

Hilary Grant
Hilary Grant is a knitwear designer based on Orkney. She is inspired by Fair Isle knitting and the traditional rules of pattern-making. She designs each scarf, hat and mitten stitch by stitch- through a contemporary and graphic lens yet with a reassuring rhythm and meter. Her scarves, hats and mittens can be found in boutiques across the UK, and as far as Hong Kong, New York and Tokyo. www.hilarygrant.co.uk, @Hilary_Grant

Gilly Langton
Gilly Langton is a contemporary jewellery designer based in the Scottish Highlands in the prettiest little fishing village of Plockton. Her luxury jewellery company focuses on unique design and craftsmanship. The stunning coast line of breathtaking seascapes and heather covered hills is the inspiration behind Gilly’s striking sterling silver and hand dyed elastic jewellery of necklaces, bangles, earrings that’s sold national and internationally in museums, galleries and concept stores. www.gillylangton.co.uk, @Gillyjewel

Helen Lockhart
Helen Lockhart established Ripples Crafts (www.ripplescrafts.com) in 2008 as a development of her creative aspirations, hand dyeing yarn using varied techniques. Helen says “the landscape around my home in Assynt, north west Highlands, inspires the colour combinations I develop for my yarns.” Blog: www.ripplescrafts.com/dropone, @ripplescrafts

Heather McDermott
After completing her BA (Hons) and a 1 year MA at Edinburgh College of Art in 2011, Heather moved home to the Isle of Skye to establish her business. She takes her inspiration from the ever-changing shoreline and landscapes of Skye and uses stainless steel with elements of silver with vivid discs of colour. www.heathermcdermott.com, @heathermcdermo5

Melanie Muir
Melanie Muir is an internationally award winning contemporary jewellery designer, teacher and entrepreneur, based in Nairn. Her bold, colourful work in polymer is inspired by the colours, patterns and shapes of the Highland landscape. Each of her creations is unique and unrepeatable.www.melaniemuir.com, @melanie_muir

Niela Nell Kalra
Niela Nell Kalra is a former lawyer from Moray, currently enjoying her second life successfully designing distinctive knitwear which now sells globally under her label nielanell. She is passionate about all things wool, and how we relate/react to the security it encourages. A keen handspinner, dyer and tutor, her studio/shop in Shetland is a place of pilgrimage for those in the know. www.nielanell.com, @nielanell

Gavin Robertson
Gavin Robertson has been designing and making bespoke furniture for over 20 years, the now well established company enjoys prominence as one of Scotland’s leading bespoke business specializing in the design and production of furniture of superlative quality. Our ethos is to fuse contemporary design with exquisite cabinet making. www.grfurniture.com, @grfurniture

Julia Smith
Julia Smith Ceramics is made at her home studio by the Moray Firth near Inverness. She makes distinctly handmade ceramics intended for every day use. Her simple modern pottery combines a love of making simple utilitarian forms with colours and drawings from nature. www.juliasmithceramics.com, @juliaceramics

Kirsteen Stewart
Kirsteen Stewart started her fashion career studying Fashion Design & Surface Print at the University of Northumbria in Newcastle. Kirsteen worked in New York with independent label Elizabeth Powell and Gap as a design assistant. After returning to her hometown of Kirkwall, in Orkney Kirsteen started her design and retail business. Opening The Studio Shop in 2009, in Kirkwall, which stocks own brand products alongside UK independent and up and coming UK designers.

The Kirsteen Stewart collection consists of a capsule collection of clothing with complimentary accessories. The collection features a strong surface design element which is translated using many techniques including knit, embroidery, laser cutting & embossing. Each product is handcrafted in the UK. www.kirsteenstewart.co.uk, @KirsteenStewart

Fashion Foundry participant 2013. Winner of the Scottish Princes Trust Growth Award 2013. Winner of the Scottish Edge Award 2014

goNORTH 2014

Please see below images from the Scotland Re:Designed Runway show which took place as part of goNORTH 2014 on Wednesday 4th June.

All photography is by Stew Bryden - www.stewbrydenphotographic.com

The eight designers who were selected to showcase their work at goNORTH 2014 were:

Designer: Kirsteen Stewart (Photography: Stew Bryden. www.stewbrydenphotographic.com)

SHOWCASING OPPORTUNITIES: Craft Central Showcase and Training events 14th - 18th October 2014 33-35 St John’s Square, London PLEASE NOTE THAT THE DEADLINE FOR THIS SHOWCASING OPPORTUNITY HAS PASSED. WE WILL BE REPORTING BACK ON THE DESIGNERS WHO ARE TAKING PART VERY SOON! With a focus on Jewellery and Fashion, we will be combining the showcase with a programme of training through Craft Central Business. There will also be Meet the Maker and Meet the Buyer events, a private view and late night shopping on at least one evening. This is a fantastic opportunity to broaden your London client base, to develop your networks and your skills and ultimately increase sales. Craft Central has an enviable reputation for the training and showcasing they provide and all participating makers will be invited to participate in 2 training events with the organisation as well as further opportunities and support.

The Showcase: We will be situated in the wonderful new corner gallery at Craft Central headquarters in the heart of creative Clerkenwell. The Gallery: more details here: http://craftcentral.org.uk/exhibition-facilities Set up will take place on Monday 13th and the morning of Tuesday 14th October 2014. We will open with our Private View on the evening of the 14th October and the show will close on Saturday 18th October. There will be late night shopping on Thursday and a Saturday networking event, bringing the Craft Central London makers to meet our makers.

The details: Emergents will be responsible for the set up and take down of work but the successful makers will need to commit to delivering and collecting their work unless we have arranged otherwise. All successful makers will need to join the Craft Central network (at present this is £42 for the year) http://craftcentral.org.uk/becomeamember All exhibitors will need to be available in London from Tuesday 14th to Saturday 18th October and be willing to participate in Meet the Maker, Meet the Buyer, Saturday Networking event and up to 2 (2/3 hour)training events. Makers will also need to be available on a rota system at the Gallery. Emergents will fund the cost of the showcase, including set up and all display material, the costs of the events, training and travel costs of £200 per maker. Makers will be responsible for all other costs including their accommodation, subsistence, delivery of work and Craft Central network fees. Emergents will not take any commission on work sold and makers should provide a retail price list for the work in the showcase. Promotion of the event will be through the selected makers own networks, Emergents networks and those of Craft Central. Promotion will be through invitation, through website and social media. Full details of the programme, exact times and dates and other related information will be sent out at the end of August. To apply: Please complete the online application form at the bottom of this page by Monday 26th May 2014. You will be sent a confirmation email upon your application submission. Selection will be by panel and all makers will be notified by Friday 30th May 2014. Criteria: Open to all professional makers and designers based in the Highlands and Islands, working to a high standard and who are seeking to expand their client base to London. Priority will be given to those working in Jewellery, Fashion and Textiles. We will select up to 6 makers and designers for the showcase. Selection will be based on quality as well as ensuring that there is a coherent exhibition of work. Please include a link to your website together with up to 4 images that gives an example of the type of work you intend to exhibit. Please give an indication of the retail price of the work. We expect the successful makers to showcase a collection of work that should include at least one high value piece (£500 + retail) and up to 6 other works. As this is a retail showcase and work is for sale, we will require you to supply back up pieces to replace work sold and also to provide Emergents with catalogues, cards and relevant information for commissions. If you have any questions about this opportunity, please feel free to contact us on [email protected]