Upcycling and Independents

As you know, I contribute to several magazines but you may not know that on March 1st my first article for FAKE magazine was published. As this issue (their fourth) was based on nature the lovely editors, Kerry and Sophie, asked me to write about upcycling. You can buy the issue here - and if you do make sure to let me know what you think!

As an independent magazine that supports new talent it was the perfect opportunity to highlight some of great independents from across the county and the role upcycling has within their business and on society. The article was accompanied by a specially commissioned illustration by Lucy Driscoll and features:

Yellowstone Art Boutique - Based at Trentham Gardens' retail village, Yellowstone sells work by fresh, exciting new makers and designers. It offers an outlet for the new artists on the contemporary craft scene, whilst concentrating on quality and an attention to detail.

Love Me Again - A Manchester based fashion brand, which uses entirely recycled textiles. Each design is carefully considered to make the most of the original garment, creating affordable and unique clothing.

The Peanut Gallery - Based in Congleton, The Peanut Gallery stocks handmade, original, upcycled and reloved pieces. They also run workshops to show others how.

Unit Twelve - A great gallery and workshop venue in Stafford, ran by artist Jennifer Collier who is somewhat of a veteran when it comes to using upcycled materials.

I was particularly pleased to interview Hannah Stoney, owner of Yellowstone Art Boutique. Not only is the gallery local but the ethos of her store fits perfectly with that of FAKE. If you are ever in the area you should definitely pop in. You can see a selection of what is on sale on the Yellowstone Facebook page. Hannah's birdhouse prints are particularly sweet, don't you think?

Image from Yellowstone's Facebook page