Highlights from The Contemporary Crafts & Design Fair

The 8th year of The Contemporary Crafts & Design Fair celebrated exceptional craftsmanship with a vibrant mix of disciplines...

This year the Christmas season kicked off with a celebration of the very best of contemporary fine crafts in all disciplines across Fashion and Interiors in the biggest Handmade in Britain show to date. With innovative design alongside exceptional craftsmanship, visitors enjoyed an impressive variety of form, function and style from over 120 highly skilled designer-makers.

Success for Designer-Makers

This year Handmade in Britain 14 welcomed more makers than ever before, with over 120 exhibitors in Interiors and Fashion offering an exciting variety of work of absolute craftsmanship from Belfast to Edinburgh. Disciplines showcased included glass, ceramics, jewellery, furniture, fashion
accessories and home textiles.

Alongside established and well-known makers, we also invited visitors to meet designers at the very start of their career in the New Graduate Showcase, supported by Heart Home Magazine. The Showcase was an overwhelming success for these new designer-makers who presented creative, vibrant and inspiring work across a range of disciplines.

“Some wonderful creative talent”

If you visited Handmade in Britain 14, why not share your thoughts, images and highlights with us via Twitter or Facebook? #Chelsea14

@handmadebritain

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HMIB Christmas Gift Guide - For Him

Continuing our series of HMIB Christmas gift guides, we present our ‘For Him’ edition! Last week we offered up a few unique suggestions for those extra special festive presents in our ‘For Her’ selection (missed it? Check it out HERE) and now it’s time to pick something for the boys!

Men are notoriously tricky to buy for – there’s only so many times a pair of slippers and some aftershave will actually be appreciated… But the array or crafts and creations at Handmade in Britain are sure to provide the perfect present, something totally different from what he’s been given before. So step into a world of individually crafted luxury: an ideal Christmas treat for the discerning gentleman.

Woodwork

Bruce Aitken, Clockmaker   /   The Marquetry Shack   /   Mark Newson

The elemental construction of wood is something that truly has a timeless appeal. Infinite incarnations and truly unique patterning make wooden creations a thoughtful and individual gift. From bespoke furnishings to artisan clockmakers and exquisite marquetry – woodwork at HMIB is sure to offer something a little special.

Metal

CreatStudio   /   Stuart Jenkins

Make a statement with your Christmas gift giving, with fluid and bold creations showcasing the finest metalwork. Evoking a true sense of modernity – sculptures, fixtures and other metals hold a luxurious appeal and put a little bit of a twist on the sparkling Christmas tradition. One of the wise men gave the gift of gold after all – although we doubt it was crafted like this!

Glass

FuseModern   /   Lynn Foster   /   Laura Smith Glass

Unexpected elegance and unquestionable beauty overflows the glass creations on show at HMIB. Many of our designer/makers use traditional techniques – centuries old to craft their creations. Meaning that the gift of glass is something truly individual – contemporary in its appearance and traditional in its creation. Beat that Santa.

Something a bit Different…

Mallon Foundry   /   Daniel Latorre Cruz

For those people who are simply impossible to buy for, the only real solution is opting for something a little off the wall. Whereas on the high-street this may mean a pair of unloved novelty socks  - at HMIB this means an incredible creation from the finest craftsmen in the country – bound to be treasured for years to come.

To see all these incredible creations and more visit Handmade in Britain at Chelsea Old Town Hall from 14^th – 16^th November.

For more information on visiting – click HERE

To see a full list of our exhibitors – click HERE

So there we have it, our little guide to the perfect Christmas gifts. If you’re still stuck for ideas check out our Warwick Avenue based Christmas Pop-up shop! Christmas Shopping = easy as (mince) pie (sorry…). The only problem is, how on earth will you top these gifts next year?!

Until next time…

The HMIB Team

xxx

The HMIB Christmas Gift Guide - For Her

 It may only be November, but there’s no denying it anymore – Christmas is coming. Festive lights are beginning to adorn streets up and down the country, supermarket shelves are brimming with tentatively placed mince pies and plum puddings and the tv is suddenly full of perfume adverts, twinkling lights and the (probably overly optimistic) snow white Christmas dream. In the back of the nation's mind, we all know this can only mean one thing: we need to start the Christmas Shopping.

Julia Ann Davenport Jewellery

Fortunately for you though, here at Handmade in Britain we’re going to try make this all a little bit easier, and a lot less stressful with our wonderful Festive HMIB Gift Guides! Our Chelsea show this year will host over 100 of the finest designer/makers in the country gracing Chelsea Old Town Hall, bringing with them a wide array of exquisite, luxury and completely unique creations. There is no gift more special than something handmade and thoughtful; at Handmade in Britain you will be spoiled for choice with beautiful creations guaranteed to bring something special to your loved one’s Christmas gift.

Helen Michie Ceramics

Therefore, we are proud to present the HMIB ‘For Her’ gift guide! It’s all too easy to fall back on high-street standbys of toiletry gift sets or ornate boxes of chocolates as the Christmas pressure mounts, but here we are presenting a few luxury alternatives for the women in your lives – from intricate jewellery and sublime textiles all the way to something a little more experimental. This is just a small selection of the wonderful creations on offer at Handmade in Britain, and with such a variety on offer, consider your Christmas shopping sorted. Easy as that! 

Jewellery

Amanda Mansell   /   Fox Silver   /   Joana Cunha

It’s often said that diamonds are a girl’s best friend. And to be honest, for a lot of us that isn’t far wrong. There’s nothing quite like the gift of jewellery at Christmas, and that’s made all the more special when the jewellery in question is a truly individual, handmade creation.

Textiles

Fleur Design   /   Katie Mawson

From delicate embroideries through to cosy and chic knitwear, there is something for every taste in the textile miscellany at Handmade in Britain. For those searching for the indefinable King's Road chic head for silk scarves and wraps, or take a glance at the range of cosy knits for outdoorsy types.

Ceramics

Catherine Carr Glass   /   Justine Munson   /   Boop Design

Help someone make their house that little bit more lovely with the gift of ceramics. Something a little bit different from the standard present fare, ceramics make for thoughtful and beautiful gifts.

Something a little different…

Alison Lowry   /   Sarah Morpeth   /   Deborah Timperly

If you’re searching for inspiration beyond the gift giving norms then Handmade in Britain is the place to go. From experimental glasswork to paper-cut creations, if you’re looking for a truly standout gift, there really is no other option!

Handmade in Britain is running from the 14th - 16th November at Chelsea Old Town Hall. 

For more information and tickets click HERE.

For a full list of the wonderful exhibitors (make your shopping list early!) click HERE

Until next time...

Happy shopping everyone!

The HMIB Team

xxx

In with the New - the HMIB New Graduate Showcase

There’s nothing quite like the thrill of the new. Be it visiting a new city for the first time, the inaugural wearing of a new pair of shoes or finding a new artist that inspires you in ways long forgotten – ‘new’ is exciting, exhilarating and a little bit special.

What could be better then, than combining this exciting sense of novelty with the fabulous world of designer-makers? That’s exactly what we are doing with the New Graduate Showcase at Handmade in Britain.

The New Graduate Showcase at HMIB offers a unique opportunity for the brightest new stars in the world of craft and design to display their works alongside major, established exhibitors. For many this will be their first professional show and represent the first steps into their careers.

Sophie Southgate

The graduates, individually selected by the editors at Heart Home magazine, range from lingerie designers to furniture makers, but what they all have in common is a sense of passion and excitement.

Yufei Liang  

Yufei Liang explores repetition in her geometric lamps, Charlotte Brocklehurst lovingly mixes traditional techniques to create contemporary objects that are both beautiful and functional and Taz Pollard introduces colour to our homes with her quirky, vibrant ceramics. 

Alexandra Goodrick

StephieAnn Design exhibit their collection of delicately luxurious lingerie and nightwear and Alexandra Goodrick presents her precious, vintage inspired jewellery collection. Hanny Newton displays her hand embellished bow ties; a modern twist on a classic design, Preanka Patel showcases the bold shapes of her striking jewellery collection and Izzi Rainey presents a collection of bold and textural prints for homewares & interiors.

Katharina Gross

Using wax in a unique approach, Katharina Gross creates intriguing objects and furniture for the home, Sophie Southgate presents her abstract, colourful ceramics and Jane Crisp combines natural materials to reference tradition in her innovative furniture designs

StephieAnn Design

For more information on these designers, click HERE 

Make sure you see these fantastic new designers in person at HMIB – running from the 14^th-16^th November at Chelsea Old Town Hall for tickets click HERE.

Until next time...

The HMIB Team

xxx