As we look ahead to the British Craft Trade Fair we see a wealth of incredible design talent waiting to be discovered by retailers. One such designer is Rhianne Sian, who grew up in a rural area of County Durham where she is, in her own words “surrounded by visual inspiration, whether it is wildlife, landscapes or vibrant florals”.
From her early teens Rhianne became very interested in digital design
and started to explore lots of new exciting creative online platforms. Towards the end of hery time at art college she was introduced to how drawings could be developed into beautiful patterns which could
be used in many different ways other than simply framing a piece of art.
“This made the whole concept of drawing even more exciting for me and determined my decision to study a degree in Textiles and Surface Design, where I developed my own unique style and techniques.
“Whilst in my final year at university, I started to gain a real interest into business. I interned with Zoe Murphy, furniture and textiles printer from Kent, where I was further inspired to follow my dream of having my own studio and design business. After my first year in business I am now planning ahead for a busy 2019.
“I spent last year designing and growing my textiles product ranges. I attended many Summer and Christmas retail fairs and built up a selection of stockists including beautiful gift shops and galleries over the North of England and the Scottish Borders. This was a fantastic way to grow my business and expand its recognition.
“During my design process I illustrate various drawings and start by layering them digitally to find an interesting composition. I print this and work back into the artwork by hand – whether this is painting and adding texture, adding foil detail or developing colour. This adds more detail and definition. I find this technique of collaging encourages my creativity and adds another level of interest to my designs. I now have a beautiful range of quality homeware, gift and stationery including products such as cushions, kitchen textiles, bone china, notebooks and cosmetic bags.
All my products are either made in studio or in the UK by carefully selected manufacturers who share our ethos in high quality design.
“I felt the BCTF was the perfect trade show for me in this early stage of my career as they strongly support British made products and newcomers within the creative industry. I love challenging myself, however, making sure I feel confident and well prepared is very important and BCTF provides amazing knowledge, feedback and mentoring which will support me greatly at my first trade show”.
