Would you like to get a closer insight into the life of a designer? We’re constantly excited by the work we discover here at Material Lab but we’re always itching to know more about the people behind the designs – what they can’t live without, what excites them and where they find their inspiration.
That’s why we’re introducing a brand new series of interviews called Design Life, asking five simple questions to some of our favourite creatives and makers to give you a little peek into their processes, projects and passions.
Kicking off the series is textile expert Gemma Kay Waggett, a Central Saint Martins and Royal College of Art graduate who specialises in reinterpreting traditional techniques. Gemma will be exhibiting her work and demonstrating her own processes live during our Making exhibition, right here at Material Lab during London Design Festival. She’s also taking over our Instagram feed this week, so it’s the perfect time to learn more about her…
"Good stationery – including a Muji 0.38 pen (hands down my favourite pen), scalpel, tape, and a metal ruler.
"Strong paper choices – I work mostly with paper before translating into fabric, this could mean working on top of paper or collaging with paper so a good selection is a vital ingredient.
"Camera – I take a lot of photos when I work to reinterpret and see how things look on the screen, it helps me stand back and evaluate both colour choices and scale."
"Cotton is my favourite material, both to wear and to use in my work. It is so practical, comes in many forms and I love the way that it changes throughout it’s life. I am keen to further the use of cotton within the interior world much beyond the norm of bed sheets and curtains."
"I have just completed two pieces of work commissioned from my MA show at the RCA by Double Decker, for a Puro hotel in Poznan, Poland. One of the pieces is my biggest piece of embroidery yet so am currently feeling very proud of this.
"Also, although the project has many more years of work in it, I am particularly proud of my Nothing but Navy brand and am excited about how this can develop in the future."
"I’m a bit of a dusty at heart so wish that I’d been on hand when they built the pyramids."
"In addition to the show at Material Lab I will also be showing at the Ventura show at The Sorting Office for London Design Week. I will also be working with SIT SELECT for 2015."
Find out more about Gemma Kay Waggett’s work here. You can also find more of her inspiration on the Material Lab Instagram feed this week.
