The Art of Brand Storytelling with WAX Atelier

“We imagine stories before we do anything.

The story is definitely the beginning, and it runs all the way through.”

Image shot by Aloha Bonser-Shaw, all images courtesy of WAX Atelier

Wax Works: A Story Of Light And Delight.

In this enlightening conversation, we talk to WAX Atelier co-founder Lola Lely about discovering the warm and fragrant world of wax, the importance of fostering connections and collaboration, and why everything begins with imagining the story.

WAX Atelier is a London-based studio created in 2017 by Lola and Yesenia Thibault-Picazo. Using natural materials and traditional techniques, they make hand-dipped candles and a seasonal collection of distinctive wax-based objects and textiles.

Their goods are stocked worldwide. They’ve collaborated with Toast, Liberty, and Burberry and created a wax sculpture for the Royal Academy of Arts.

Read on to discover the creative joy of exploring one material, the challenges of scaling an intentionally slow business and the importance of nurturing young talent through ancient craft.

Q: I’m curious why you are so fascinated and obsessed with wax. What is it about the material and why did you choose it as the one you wanted to work with?

A: WAX Atelier was founded in 2017 by Yusenia and me. We both come from a design and craft background. Craft wasn't what we studied, but this is where we found our interest and curiosity because we both explore ideas through materiality and making. 

Craft led us into the world of all these fascinating traditions and materials that have been around forever. How we came to wax was through our teaching roles. We both taught at Central Saint Martins on a course called ‘Material Futures’. One of the briefs to the students was to choose a material and really go into depth, to understand everything about it from its cultural history to its future potential. 

The outcome was so interesting that we became fascinated with that approach. We’ve never given ourselves that kind of task and that sort of focus to look at a material and really understand its breadth and what its future possibility could be.

So we both discussed what material we could look at, which had been overlooked, perhaps, or something that was almost in front of us that we hadn't really thought about very much. We came to the conclusion that wax featured in both our works, many times on different projects. 

So we said, well, it must be wax. 

Once we started thinking about wax, I thought, actually, this is such a universal material. Everyone knows what wax is and what a candle is. But I bet you nobody actually really knows the material or has touched the raw material, including ourselves. That's when we really went deep into it and decided to find some wax and to start playing with it. 

Luckily for us, just around the corner from our workshop is a beekeeper - The London Honeyman and he gave us some wax and we just thought this was an incredible material because it features in so many different disciplines from food to fine arts to everyday households and we just said, okay, so let's start exploring wax. And it all took off from there. 

We learned how to make our first candles. We looked on YouTube and found all of these obscure videos about people making candles in their backyards. So we invented some tools of our own, started making some candles, and just found the whole material fascinating. 

After that, we held some workshops. We like to share our craft and see how other people engage with it.

From then on, it's just become something much bigger and broader than we imagined. It's turned into a business, but it has created opportunities for ourselves, the brand, and other people in the community. Since 2017, lots of people have come through our doors, whether through collaborations with brands or through employing and training local people.

When we're working with others, it's the vehicle for us to connect with other people. Making is so tangible and tactile, which is something we're losing more and more because lots of people aren't connected to materials or making anymore, and so much is digital now. 

We've shown that it's beyond fun, you can turn it to business as well.

Q: I'm very interested in the stories of brands and particularly with makers and people that are really skilful at something and have really mastered a particular craft. I was interested in the meaning of candles. If we focus on that as the main way people encounter or think of wax. There's so much significance, isn't there, to candles in our cultures and in our daily lives and the way we use them, is that something you've looked into?

Definitely. We always consider the user experience and rituals and traditions because having a ritual connects you to moments, the past, and the present. Also, you can create new rituals that are completely your own. 

Our starting point was something very traditional. We're always looking or thinking about the way we live now and the potential of how we could live and our spaces in the future. That's where we create new products or have a twist on something traditional to create something innovative. It's always going backwards and forwards and having those cross-references, which intrigues us. 

It's a bit of anthropology, so you've got this candle, but now we have lighting, we turn on a light bulb and you get bright light, and the candlelight isn't as strong as, say, a light bulb, but it gives you a different type of light and it creates a different type of mood. Candlelight really does create a different atmosphere. Or if you light a candle early in the morning, it does something, it sort of opens up another realm and a different kind of perspective. 

It's perishable, and it's precious. Some people say they don't want to burn their candles because they’re too precious. But when you do it, you realise the beauty of things. Sometimes, you have to lose things as well. But then, on the reverse side, we make these wax flowers. It's a bit of a dialogue about things that are to be thrown away. We want to create a really lifelike flower that lasts almost forever, that goes against cut flowers. 

So we’re always slightly controversial in a very light way, where we're sort of saying the opposite of things, because we want to make a point of that. But we try to do it in a beautiful and functional way by just making people think, and because we've come from a place of naivety as well.

Q: I love that you still have that same curiosity for what else is possible. You're always approaching everything with that thought and interest. We've covered the craft side of WAX Atelier really beautifully. I'm interested in how you balance that with the commercial parts of the business. It’s been really interesting to watch how you've grown and to see the success you're having. But how do you balance this very slow, thoughtful, beautiful craft that you're doing with the realities and practicalities of making it a business?

Well, in terms of the practicality, we've had to upscale quite a bit. It's still handmade, but the actual tools that we have are scaled-up versions of what we were doing when we were making a batch of five candles. So we've just had to design things. We have this carousel, it's almost like a contraption basically, it goes around and around, and then you have its cantilevers, and we designed that and got that made in Denmark. It's looking at our tools and thinking about problem-solving and finding ways of making the process more efficient for us without compromising on the quality.  We had to think about maintaining the craft, but also commercially and on a humanitarian level.

We’re always thinking about how we can improve, how we can do things better. By default, I think that’s helped us produce more candles or products because the orders started to come in. It's really lovely to have people like your products and want to buy them.

Q: From a brand story point of view, your storytelling hasn't changed. It’s so consistent and still feels very personal, slow and beautiful. How have you managed to maintain that despite scaling up?

From day one, we've always been like that, maybe sometimes to our detriment, where we imagine stories before we do anything.

We're very visual people, and thankfully, because we have a design and practical background, we can make certain things a reality. We've got lots of different skill sets in the studio — a photographer, a designer, makers, and people who can write and speak well. We're a team of just five people, but it feels very natural. It's the business side that we've had to learn to navigate rather than the design and storytelling side.

Q: I love the expression you used of ‘imagining the stories at the beginning.’ Can you tell me a bit more about that? Is it the final product or how you present it to people? 

The story is definitely the beginning, and it runs all the way through. In the beginning we're influenced by lots of different things in terms of our cultural background and where we live in East London. It's very multicultural, history, film, theatre, all these sorts of things we pick up and we have a conversation about, and it's just the way we work; it's very collaborative. These ideas almost percolate and build on it, and then it's always based on what we feel we would like to manifest.

We don’t ever think, ‘Oh, you know, maybe people would like this’, we don’t ever say that to ourselves when we decide to do something; we're very impractical. We just think, ‘Oh, we like that’ and therefore we just go and do it. 

Then we buckle down and get to the practicalities, and we do things on a shoestring most of the time. There has been no investment in our business; we've just done everything with our own money from our own pockets, and we give it a shot and see where it goes.

When people ask us where the ideas come from, that's where - we give ourselves time to reflect and allow inspiration to come. Then we just go and do it and see what happens. If it’s successful then great we'll make another batch, but if not, it doesn't matter we still enjoy just doing it.

We’ve been quite lucky most of the things that we've tried out it's been really well received. 

Q: I think that can be really helpful to creative people running businesses. There can be so much pressure as you've got to think of the market, and actually, your confidence and clarity of your purpose and vision are obviously so strong that you can create things with this sense of risk and freedom that you believe and trust in it. When you're willing to go all in and not doubt or compromise, it creates something that's so much stronger and really resonates.

Definitely. There are a few brands out there that we've encountered that are doing great work. But most of the time, we don't look outside. A business guru would probably say you should do your market research, you should look at everything, but sometimes you shouldn't because the minute you do that, you start to self-doubt, and it's quite intimidating. I mean, you can look all day. And I think sometimes it’s good to think about what you would want. 

We would never release anything or do anything that we didn't enjoy or thought didn’t have some sort of value or purpose to us. That has been our philosophy from day one, and it hasn't changed. That is why we just really like coming to work and doing what we're doing. 

Q: What's the next chapter for the WAX Atelier story? What's the thing that you're curious about at the moment and that you're experimenting with?

The next chapter is that we have a new premises in Abney Park in Stoke Newington, that was granted to us by Hackney Council and the Abney Park Trust. It's a place where we are going to create and interact and engage more with the public. So that's very exciting. It's going to be an experimental space and it's right in the middle of the cemetery so we'll see the changing seasons as there are about 180 species of trees in the park. And there's all this history in terms of the people who were in the artistic community who lived here and they are buried in the cemetery. So it has quite a powerful history and narrative with the nature around it. 

Our first project is going to be with young people between the ages of 18 to 24. We're going to be working with them, with the raw materials and inspiration from the Park to create a collection of unique things. We can't say what yet, but it's going to be really interesting. Collaborating with that age group is going to be interesting because they've got a lot of ideas, but also a lot of challenges. So we're really keen to tap in and cross-pollinate ideas and create something new for us as well 

And the other new chapter is that WAX Atelier will be delving into the world of aromatics. So we're looking at one species - which is going to be the orange - and we're going to explore it in all its different guises to create a collection of very naturally fragrant things. 

Q: I love the way you say things with the openness to what that might be. You mentioned you don’t like to look at what your competitors are doing but are there other brands, perhaps in totally different industries that you really love, particularly in terms of storytelling? 

There's a collective called Assemble, they’re taking architecture into art and into this whole culture of making and living. They're so interesting. They are curators at the Royal Academy of Arts this year, and they won a Turner Prize. It's interesting how thinking of the practice that is about the built environment, but can steer and veer into all sorts of directions. But there's definitely a running thread, and you make connections.

The other brand is Ffern. We love that they work with the seasons, launching projects, creating beautiful films and the narrative around it all is quite special. We’ve had a conversation with them in the past about collaborating, so there’s definitely something there, a synergy between us. I think they work in a very inventive and imaginative, but also sensitive, way. And you can feel that through their imagery and the product is very special.

Thank you to Lola for taking time to share her insights on how they approach so many aspects of their business, it was such an interesting and inspiring conversation. You can find WAX Atelier’s latest work on their website and follow along with their story on Instagram.

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The Art Of Creative Brand Storytelling With Potter Jacques Monneraud

All images courtesy of Jacques Monneraud

This story begins with a simple Malteser chocolate.

Jacques placed the little brown ball on a pottery wheel and slowly shaped it into a tiny vase. I smiled watching the Instagram film, then laughed out loud when he ate the ‘vase’.

That playful video has since had over 1.5 million views.

Frenchman Jacques Monneraud shares and sells his pottery with brilliantly crafted storytelling full of delight and wonder.

"The world of ideas is a bit like the one of dreams," Jacques muses. "I constantly ask myself…'What would make me fall in love with ceramics although I don't care about it?'"

With a background in advertising, Jacques understands the power of brand storytelling. In this Q&A, he generously shares his creative process, his humility and humour belying the thought, talent, and effort involved.

I'm thrilled to share this conversation with you.

Q: Before studying ceramics, you worked for 12 years in the advertising industry. Can you tell us the story of how and why you left that all behind to become a ceramist? And what drew you to working with clay?

I started as a graphic designer/illustrator and quickly became a Creative Director in an advertising company. During those years, I gradually drifted away from what I loved to do in the first place, which was creating. As someone who grew up in a family of artists and makers, I always pictured myself working with my hands someday. But here I was, spending hours in meetings discussing brand strategies. When I realised that, I decided that it was time to give this dream a try. After a few months searching for this "maker job", I stumbled upon a video of someone working at the potter's wheel. It randomly appeared on my feed and totally caught me off guard. I was instantly hooked. I loved everything about it, the material, the fact that it's just you and a lump of mud, the variety of things you can make out of it... I booked a class the same day and quit my job a few weeks later. 

Q: Your creativity comes across in everything you do, from the innovative designs of your ceramics to the playful way you present them, with product descriptions full of character and the stories you tell in the films you share on Instagram. Where do your ideas come from, and how do you approach the development and innovation required to bring those ideas to life?

That's a tricky question. The world of ideas is a bit like the one of dreams. Of course there are ways to find a creative idea. You can approach a subject from different angles in order to make it look funny, original, crazy etc, depending on the message you want to convey. But it would be very hard to dissect and analyse all the brain connections that play a role in the birth of an idea.

I constantly ask myself the following questions: What would I love to see/watch/touch/read? What would be so cool that I'd want to share it? What would make me smile? What would make me fall in love with ceramics although I don't care about it? Because at the end of the day, it all boils down to you and someone else's interest.

As for bringing those ideas to life, it depends... Some projects are easy to make and others very hard. But whichever it is, I always start with the same state of mind, the one of MacGyver (I loved that show when I was a kid). You have to pick a lock with just a chewing-gum? Okay. Let's find a way. 

Q: The cardboard series is incredible. I remember the first time I saw the pieces, I couldn‘t believe they were made of clay. The attention to detail of the glaze that looks like tape is so clever and skilful. Can you share the story of the process of that collection? It’s such an original idea, and it must have been so hard to get right. Were there moments when you questioned if it would work?

Thank you :) I must say that research is part of my daily routine, in parallel to my more classic tableware pieces. I'm always exploring ideas. I like to open doors, even though they end up nowhere. I have dozens of unfinished projects and ideas. As for the cardboard, it's failure that pushed me towards this collection. I was unsuccessfully trying to obtain a specific glaze effect that I love, so I started thinking about a ‘raw collection’, made of unglazed pieces. From that moment on, I started to explore different clays and combinations of clays mixed together, with no particular idea in mind other than finding a nice balance between colour and texture.

One day, I obtained a mix that made me think of a cardboard chunk. I thought about pushing it further and because I have always been very sensitive to things that time deteriorates, things that don't last, I instantly loved the paradoxical nature of this project: unalterable cardboard. I really liked the idea of ​​being able to freeze fragility.

From that moment on, I did dozens of tests, be it about the colour, the texture, the optical illusion, the fragility, etc. Until one day, a ceramist friend of mine drops by and, staring at a ceramic prototype, says "oh you're working with cardboard now?". It was a small coffee cup and she was just centimetres away from it. I thought to myself ‘time has come to make a real collection out of this’. 

Q: For someone relatively new to their craft, you seem unafraid of setting yourself challenges. Creating the Roland Garros trophy using the clay of the Philippe-Chatrier centre court is a brilliantly ambitious idea. Can you tell us more about the King of Clay project and the film you made, which has had two million views on Instagram?

This illustrates what I was trying to say earlier about creativity and its mysterious ways... One day you buy some Mentos, and a few days later you buy a can of Coke. You fall asleep and when you wake up, your brain suggests that you put the Mentos in the can of Coke. You've made no effort to think about it, yet the idea is here. I've always loved tennis and I watched every game of Rafael Nadal. That's the Mentos. A few years later, I was researching ceramics and read this surprising story: tennis clay was invented by two players who decided to crush vases from Vallauris. And that's the Coke can...  

It quickly became clear that, for the idea to be pure, the clay had to come from the real Parisian court. This was my first challenge. With no connections whatsoever to the Tennis world, I thought that I could better my chances with a prototype, so that's the first thing I made.

Once I had it, I knew that the time of the people I was trying to reach was precious, and that I'd need a strong, clear presentation. With the help of a talented friend, I created a mobile website to explain the project. By doing so I ensured that the idea wouldn't be distorted along the way.

From this point on, I followed the "six handshakes rule" (the idea that all people are six or fewer social connections away from each other), and started making phone calls. It actually took me a lot more than six friends but I eventually found a way to reach Roland-Garros' staff. They loved the idea and sent me several kilos of the real clay.

Then the biggest challenge started... because until then I had completely underestimated the complexity of the trophy. In the video, I say that I really came close to giving up. It's sincere. The only thing that kept me going is the "I've gone too far to give up now" feeling. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about :). 

Replica of the Roland-Garros trophy using the clay of the Philippe-Chatrier center court. It took Jacques one year and five months to complete. Within the first 24 hours the full film (which you can watch on his Instagram) was viewed half a million times.

Q: Ceramics have such a high risk of failure - from the modelling to the firing to the drying process - so much can go wrong. It must take a lot of bravery to undertake some of your projects. How do you cope with the failures, mistakes and setbacks?

Not well! When I first started working in advertising, my teammate and I created an ad where you see Jesus walking toward water and, although you expect him to walk on it, he eventually drowns. The copy was saying this: ‘There is no miracle. Just a lot of work.’ To this day, I still think it's very true.

People tend to believe that working with clay is relaxing and that quitting your job to become a ceramist will allow you to have more time to yourself... It's the complete opposite. In fact, I dare you to find a job this hard, where you need to turn mud into gold every day and be both Steves at the same time (Wozniak and Jobs).

How do I cope with failures and setbacks? I listen to Kendrick Lamar, read the Harvard Business Review and watch Little House on the Prairie. It goes something like this: Stay humble, work hard and be nice. 

Q: You are a talented storyteller. There’s a playful quality to everything you share, and you often talk about a ‘touch of foolishness’ - can you tell us more about why you take that approach? Does it help creativity to have fun and not take it too seriously?

First of all, I think that unless you're a doctor in South Sudan fighting hunger and poverty (my younger brother does that), nothing is serious.

Then, I choose to base my business on social media platforms. Not because I like them, but because in my opinion, it would be a big mistake to close a door to the whole world when you aim to sell things.

Today, these platforms are all about entertainment! How can you have fun watching my content if I'm not having fun making it?

There is this ad agency mantra that I love, "We're not invited to the party, so at least let us bring some champagne". 

Q: Your films are brilliantly entertaining to watch, and it seems like you enjoy making them, but they’re also so well produced - they must take a lot of time to plan, film, and edit. Artists and makers often struggle to balance the time they spend creating versus the time they give to marketing and selling their work. How do you manage the creative side of your business and the more commercial aspects?

I do enjoy making them :) I would have loved to be a film director, but I'm way too shy. I know that what I'm about to write here will annoy some people, but nowadays, being a ceramist is 30% being a good maker and 70% being a good salesman. I knew that before I started and that's probably why I took the leap. After years selling things I can focus on becoming a good maker. It's impossible, but I want that balance to be 100%-100%. 

Q With your background in advertising, why do you think storytelling is important to a business and selling? What do you think makes a great brand story?

We used to buy products. But now that we have made so many of them, in every colour or material possible, we want them to come with a story. It's one of the few good aspects of our society, because we tend to give more attention to what we buy and own. I think that brands shouldn't be so different from people, and the same goes for their story. Burger King is a funny dude you know, Nike is someone who inspires you, Apple is your crush and Patagonia is the friend you respect... A good brand story is a true and honest one. A great brand story is one in which there is also audacity, courage and loyalty.

Q Are there any other brand stories that you especially admire and enjoy?

I recently discovered this French brand named Kidur and beyond its exceptional products, I particularly loved its story. Two Frenchmen set up this fabric company just before the Second World War. During the German occupation, they hid Allied soldiers and used the company's premises for resistance work. Once the war was over, it was the foreign soldiers who helped the company get through the fabric shortage that hit Europe. The brand survived and thanks to Kidur, the whole region prospered. Magnificent. 

Q What advice would you give someone wanting to change career and industry and follow a creative passion in the way you have? Is there anything you wish you’d known when you first started out or that you would do differently?

I'm tempted to say "Just do it". But Dan Wieden once explained where the inspiration for the famous Nike "Just do it" came from. It was inspired by the final words of a death row inmate who was facing execution and said, "You know, let's do it." So... I don't know. Depending on your situation, I think it's a bit more complicated than the usual "life's too short, let's go!". If you allow me I'll rather leave this decision to them and say this: If you did "just do it" and changed career, do "think different". 

Thanks to Jacques for taking the time to share his thoughts and insights with us in this interview. You can find Jacques’ latest work on his website and follow along with his story on Instagram.

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Brilliant Brand Stories of Creativity

From around the world, each in a different industry, all committed to daring to do business differently.

Cat Spilman ‘Mama’, image with permission from the artist

1. “to lose that sense of self-consciousness, that anxiety for perfection”

Artist - Cat Spilman

For Cat Spilman, painting is a meditative process, where rather than having any preconceived idea on how the piece should look, it is instead an expression of a particular moment and feeling.

In this way, each painting becomes a kind of self-portrait, 

“They’re all snapshots of who I am in the moment and what I’m dealing with… When I’m painting I’m not trying to paint with any kind of message or specific thought in mind, I’m just painting based on how I’m feeling in the moment. Then when I look at the painting days or weeks later, I can see what that was about.”

Cat Spilman in her studio with ‘The Cineman’, image shared with permission from the artist

Using mainly housepaint and house painting brushes - originating from her background as a scenic artist in film and television - Spilman consciously limits her colour palette to encourage creativity in her work.

Part of her practice involves attempting to let go of any expectation or self-criticism and she is endlessly inspired by the innate creativity of her own daughter. 

“I used to be so precious with sketchbooks. If a page wasn’t aesthetically successful I would tear it out and feel upset and annoyed with the process. Now I buy thick, cheap notebooks and try to be as loose as possible - ignoring pages that are ugly and just taking inspiration from the tiny bits that do work. One of my goals is to lose that sense of self-consciousness, that anxiety for perfection. It hasn’t happened yet…”

Spilman’s current solo exhibition is "Days in Goodness Spent" at Bark Berlin Gallery. She also has a group show opening in Copenhagen at Gallerie Christoffer Egelund on the 21st of June.

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Images with permission from London Cloth Co, shot by Carmel King.

2. “No one parties like a weaver”

Weaving & textiles - London Cloth Company

London Cloth Company is the brainchild of Daniel Harris who, completely self-taught, made it his mission to rescue and restore a number of original looms dating as far back at 1890. He opened the first mill in London for over a century and is currently restoring Elvet Mill in West Wales back to its former glory. Daniel now has the largest collection of restored looms in Europe.

He shares his journey on Instagram with honesty and humour. From the highs:

 “It’s go time. The day we made a warp and started weaving on a loom that had sat for over 30 years.”

to the lows: “I cannot even begin to list all the nightmarish things about setting up this loom.”

Images with permission from London Cloth Co, shot by Carmel King.

It is Harris’ creativity that has got him where he is today and it shines through across all parts of the business, from the products he makes, to his Instagram captions to the heroic job of dismantling and reassembling the often rusting, neglected machinery that has sat unused for over 30 years and get it working once again.

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Food portrait of Camilla Wordie’s grandmother, photography by Natasha Alipour-Faridani

3. “moving objects by millimetres, adjusting angles by the degree”

Art director and stylist - Camilla Wordie

Camilla Wordie understands it’s the little details that make a big difference. Whether the micro-adjustments in styling a shoot to how the small habits in our everyday lives can spark conversation, connection and joy with others. 

Inspired by routine and daily life, Wordie uses everyday objects to tell the stories behind her compositions with a playful yet minimal aesthetic.

One such example is Wordie’s brilliant recent exhibition ‘Eat to Live or Live to Eat’, where she interviewed 10 individuals, from artists to shop owners, designers, chefs and storytellers to learn their food habits. Based on each interview, Wordie created a ‘food portrait’, telling the stories of each person’s food habits, memories and the 10 ingredients they couldn’t live without.

Portrait of art director and stylist Camilla Wordie

“From anchovies to tinned peaches, ingredients you may love or hate”

Prints, plates and postcards from the exhibition can be viewed and bought online here. 

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Rosa Harradine in her studio in Wales

4. “slightly wonky with a beautiful indentation along the handle where a vine has grown around the hazel”

Brush and broom maker - Rosa Harradine 

All Rosa Harradine’s brushes and brooms are made entirely by hand in her studio in West Wales. From sorting the broomcorn, cutting the sticks for handles, carving, sanding oiling, binding and finally stitching. The only mechanised part of the process is using a small chainsaw to cut the sticks for broom handles.

“I measure every piece of broomcorn by hand and sort it by length, and then quality. The scruffiest bits go on the hidden inside layers and the nicest pieces go on the outside. I stand at my workbench in front of the window and listen to a podcast as every single piece of broomcorn passes through my fingers.”

Image shared with permission, shot by Tara Juno Rowse

For Harradine, it is essential that her items are both functional and beautiful in their own right. Designed to feel tactile, something someone doesn’t want to put down (or put away), intended to be used just as much as admired hung on a wall.

As Harradine so beautifully puts it, “There are two types of people in this world. Those who think a brush would make a great present, and those who don’t”. 

I am certainly one of the former.  

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Brilliant Brands Sharing Seasonal Stories

From around the world, each in a different industry, all committed to daring to do business differently.

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Jess Wheeler with limited edition Bronze Rhubarb Side Table. Image with permission from Jess Wheeler

1. “elegant, poetic and rooted in the raw beauty of nature”

Artist & Designer - Jess Wheeler

“In a world where so much of what we surround ourselves with are carbon copies, delivered in highly manufactured packages, I want to create objects where you can see the touch of the hand, that are full of wobbles and imperfections.”

Encompassing fine art, sculpture and interiors, Jess Wheeler’s playful creations draw inspiration directly from the wonders of the natural world. Jess transforms natural forms from giant cabbage and rhubarb leaves to mushrooms and ivy garlands, forging them from an ever-evolving array of materials including brass, bronze and plaster.

Finding inspiration from her own garden to her daily foraging walks, Wheeler’s latest collection, ‘Left, Right & Rhubarb’ is inspired by childhood memories of spring…

Image with permission from Jess Wheeler

“Rhubarb grows from a bright pink knuckle in the wintered soil, slowly at first and then with increasing luxuriance, announcing the new Spring. As children, our Granny would take my siblings and me to her rhubarb patch, whose leaves towered over us like fairytale parasols, to collect the bright pink stems, cook them, pickle them, share with each other.

In this collection, I’ve tried to preserve the sense of occasion, magic and playfulness that I associate with rhubarb. I cast huge leaves from life, and playfully articulate these joyous springlike forms into tactile usable sculptures.”

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Natoora founder Franco Fubini with one of Natoora’s growers and suppliers. Image with permission from Natoora

2. “Microseasons to unlock flavour at every stage”

Food Supliers - Natoora

“Each fruit and vegetable has its own season, with subtle shifts that happen every day. We follow each one through its microseason — early, peak or late — noticing subtle shifts and hitting on unique flavours.”

Natoora exists with one clear ambition; to fix the food problem, working to reconnect people with the origins of the food they eat. Theirs is one of “radical seasonality,” with flavour at the heart of everything they do. 

“We sought out flavour by connecting with small-scale growers across Europe. We knew that fruits and vegetables grown in their natural seasons taste best, but our mission led us to growers who also preserve local growing artistry, work with diverse varieties and enhance their ecosystems.” 

From the varieties in their produce boxes to the recipes they share online, to the campaigning they do across the food industry, seasonality is at the root of their brand storytelling.

A favourite example of their creative approach to communicating their mission, is their ‘Radicchio Not Roses’ campaign, now in its third year. 

Every year 250 million roses are grown for Valentine’s Day, when they are not in season. Natoora’s campaign encourages people to choose a seasonal alternative…

Pink Radicchio and Rosella di Lusia from Veneto, Italy. Arranged by Frida Kim. Image with permission from Natoora.

“Deep purple with tight, curled leaves or rosette-shaped with red speckles, bright red with crisp white veins or all hues of pink; we challenge you to find flowers more striking and vibrant than these radicchio heads.”

“At the end of their life as centrepieces, radicchio plants are eaten, not wasted. Their bittersweet complexity makes them ideal for cold-weather salads. Try with lemon, anchovy and garlic dressing or preserved lime and rose vinegar. Mix with fennel and blood orange or try it wrapped around hot smoked trout and kabocha squash onigiri (as an alternative to seaweed).”

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Fforest owners Sian Ticker and James Lynch. Image with permission from Fforest

3. “the result of a dream….trying to remember what ‘simple’ can look, feel and taste like”

Accommodation, camping & events - Fforest

“A place to enjoy the simplicity, pleasures and beauty of outdoor living in an outstanding natural environment.”

Fforest is the result of owners Sian and James’ dream of ‘the simplest and purest of things wrapped up in a magical setting’. 

I was lucky enough to stay at Fforest for their Gather festival with four friends and our kids. It was a magical time. We cooked, ate, played and slept outdoors, lighting fires, climbing trees, building dens, crafting, dancing, and swimming in the sea, closer to the weather, the tides, stars, the moon and each other. It’s a truly special place, that really does feel like the result of a dream. 

Image with permission from Fforest

Sian and James’ connection with the land is evident throughout their storytelling, sharing the simple pleasures as the seasons shift. They host a range of events to celebrate those changes, from feasts to getaways to creative weekends.

“What makes Fforest? Care, growing, cooking, eating, learning, living, fire, adventure, community. Simple.”

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The Natural Dyeworks founder Ros Humphries. Image with permission from The Natural Dyeworks, shot by Dave Bullivant.

“Hand coloured slowly with plants and care”

Homewares & Accessories - The Natural Dyeworks

“Crafting an ever evolving palette of colours through the use of petals, leaves, bark, roots & seeds”

The handcrafted, hand-dyed ribbons, homewares and accessories created by owner Ros tell the story of the seasonal year. Using ingredients foraged from the Kent countryside or sourced from food waste collected from local cafes, Ros uses the alchemy of plant-based dyes to capture the essence of the seasons.

“Our palette changes continually with the seasons, and the spectrum of colours available is dependent on the ingredients available such as nettles in spring for cool greens, coreopsis in summer for wild oranges, hollyhocks in autumn for soft blues, alder cones in winter for burnished golds.”

Working exclusively with natural fibres and dyes, Ros’ process is 100% natural. Collecting only what is needed for a single dye pot, all the products show a deep respect for nature and leave as little footprint as possible, “Waste water is reused on the garden and allotment, dye pulp is composted which in turn feeds our soil”.

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Brilliant Brands Sharing Stories of Sustainability

From around the world, each in a different industry, all committed to daring to do business differently.

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Image with permission from Atelier Ellis. Photographer Ellen Christina Hancock

1. ‘complex and deep, but also quiet and cocooning’

Paint Company - Atelier Ellis

‘the colours are deeply rooted in the natural world, as well as personal memories, marks, and fragments.’

Atelier Ellis makes quiet, beautiful, handmade paint. Everything is done with exceptional care and thought and a deeply personal touch, including their hand-painted paint charts. 

There is a calm confidence to their brand presence, with words and images rich with atmosphere and feeling. 

‘Inspired by the way we live in nature, cities, and society, the distinctive shades are designed to create quiet, joyful backdrops to people’s homes and lives, helping them tell their unique stories of home.’

Describing themselves as a ‘human-scale business, ’ founder Cassandra Ellis is aware of the responsibility of running a business and its impact.

“How we consume affects not only an individual’s life but also our society and the environment…I believe in true stewardship - taking care, being in service, producing what we need, and communicating the benefits clearly and simply.

Their paint, ‘True Matt Emulsion,’ is now made using a bio-based formulation, including vegetable oil, sugar, and bio ethanol. Based in Bath, 90% of their materials come from the UK, the remainder from Europe. 

The ultimate stewardship is to make the best quality paint in unique colours. As an independent business, we are free to choose best practices and materials, while manufacturing in a fair and equal way.’ - Cassandra Ellis

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Image with permission from Silo

‘A Restaurant without a bin.’

The world’s first Zero waste restaurant - Silo

‘Imagining a world without waste.’

A story of daring to think differently and find a better way. ‘Silo’ is the determined vision of Chef & owner Doug McMaster who believes, ‘waste is a failure of the imagination.’

‘a restaurant that doesn’t have a bin: from that simple limitation grows a big tree. 

At Silo we choose to provide quality through purity, adopting a more primitive diet with techniques both modern and ancient. Zero waste Silo is a restaurant designed from back to front, always with the bin in mind.

The production of waste has been eliminated by simply choosing to trade directly with farmers, using re-usable delivery vessels and choosing local ingredients that themselves generated no waste. Any remaining scraps of food are then composted, closing the loop.’

It’s not just the food, every detail from the furniture to the plates have been made using recycled materials, developed through experimentation, innovation and of course, imagination.

As well as deliciously creative food (how does quaver and vegetable treacle sound?), there’s a book, ‘The Zero Waste Blueprint’ which is part cookbook, part manifesto.

For more inspiration, this film is definitely worth a watch…

Film by Matt Hopkins of Progress Film Company as part of their series ‘England Your England’ which focuses on individuals in society who are breaking ground from an underdog position.

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Image with permission from New Dawn Traders

‘buy less, buy better, buy local, by sail.’

Food Suppliers - New Dawn Traders

‘From across the oceans by the power of the wind, we welcome a new dawn for shipping cargo under sail.’

New Dawn Traders is a Cornish company, that wants to change global trade, offering an alternative and more sustainable way to transport goods.

An estimated 90% of the world’s goods are transported by sea. For many of us, it’s only when a significant event occurs, like a ship getting stuck or a route closing because of war, that we give much thought to how the things we buy have reached us.

New Dawn Traders is working to change that.

‘We trade in wild ideas and delicacies, working with sailing cargo vessels to import produce from across the Atlantic Ocean and along European coastlines pollution-free. Inspired by people, projects, and businesses that promote resilience in local food systems….with our network of ships, producers, and allies, we are building new models for supply chains that put the planet and people first.

New Dawn traders want to reconnect with the journeys of the things we buy to encourage us to focus on what we really need and what can be found locally…playing our part in the global movement to bring food trade to a human scale & consumerism to a conscious level.

The cargos that WE choose to sail over from distant lands are of value because they are products that cannot be grown in England and are of cultural significance and curiosity – the luxuries in life that are worth savouring; like coffee, chocolate, and rum.’

Definitely an idea we can get on board with.

Visit their website to read more about their values and vision. A truly seasonal business, always planning their next voyage and awaiting a favourable wind.

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Image with permission from Rootfull

‘Growing lighting fashion and sculpture with biology.’

At the intersection of science, art and design - Rootfull

‘Rootfull cultivates root textile and bridges two seemingly separate worlds from underwater to underground whilst blending artistry, material science, and sustainability.’

I gasped the first time I discovered the work of Zena Holloway and her business Rootfull.

Zena is an incredibly talented underwater photographer. As a diver, she saw the realities and devastating consequences of plastic pollution in our oceans, witnessing marine life being destroyed by climate change.

Zena didn’t look away, instead she dared to question the way things are made and from that curiosity the idea ‘took root and grew.’

She set up ‘Rootfull’ an innovative business that’s seeking to disrupt the material choices we make.

‘Rootfull is a material innovation company developing a new generation of root textile solutions for the circular economy.’

Through exploration and research, Rootfull is developing ways that we might grow new materials. Using wheatgrass seed she’s creating art, sculptures, textiles and even wedding dresses. But more importantly she’s daring to imagine another, better way inspiring more sustainable solutions that could help to slow or reverse climate change.

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The Art Of Brand Storytelling With The Seasons By Superfolk

“To know, to love, to protect is a guiding principle in all that we do.

We use our skills as designers to share the beauty and cleverness of our natural world. We do this in a bid to push others to get outdoors and ultimately to be moved to protect our natural environment.”

Superfolk co-founders, Gearoid Muldowney and Jo Anne Butler

As the seasons change, with the fresh energy of spring, we’re sharing a love story inspired by a deep relationship with the natural world.

Superfolk is a lifestyle brand created by Jo Anne Butler, an artist and architect and her husband Gearoid Muldowney - a designer and maker.

Their lives are rooted in the wildly beautiful landscape of the west coast of Ireland. The rich, raw colours, textures and patterns of each season are woven into everything they do and create. This connection and respect for the environment inspires and informs how they live, raise their family and work.

Everything is created slowly and thoughtfully with an understanding that we are nature, not separate from it.

We’re delighted to be able to bring you our conversation with Jo Anne as she shares the ways she and Gearoid are working to inspire us all to find a way to connect more deeply with ourselves and the natural world we’re part of.

Q First, to start at the beginning, tell us your story…

Gearoid and I are both designers from the west of Ireland. We met when we were both in art college in Dublin. After several years, mainly in Dublin but also in Finland and Denmark, we decided to move back to the west of Ireland. I had finished my studies in architecture, and Gearoid had started a small design business called Superfolk. Once in the west of Ireland, we decided that we would both work at Superfolk full-time and see where we could bring it. Three children, a pandemic and many years later - we are still here. We design and make homeware products, which we primarily sell directly to our customers through our online shop. 

Q You share a beautiful narrative of ever-changing landscapes, wildlife and seasons through your business and products. It feels so natural and true to you - was it as easy to find and shape your story as it comes across?

I think it felt easy in that it felt obvious and natural to us. We have both always had a strong sense of home and pride of place. We also both feel a strong sense of responsibility to speak out for our natural environment and to bear witness to the destruction we are all causing to our home planet. 

The key thing was for us to recognise that we are not scientists or statisticians. We are artists, designers and craftspeople. And so we thought deeply about what our role could be in helping to guide people towards more sustainable and activist behaviour.

We talked a lot about the idea that “No one will protect what they don't care about, and no one will care about what they have never experienced”. So now we use “to know, to love, to protect” as a guiding principle in all that we do. 

We use our skills as designers to share the beauty and cleverness of our natural world. We do this in a bid to push others to get outdoors and ultimately to be moved to protect our natural environment. 

Q Is the natural world something that has always inspired you? 

Yes. I grew up in a small town in the countryside, and I have always loved being outdoors and being in nature - it is where I feel most at ease and feels most natural. It was also the time I most enjoyed spending with my father - just going up the fields, swimming in the lake or picking blackberries. I knew that it was where he was happiest, too. I love the changing colours of the sky, the seasons and the weather. I can remember times when I was cut off from nature and how that felt - when I went to university in Dublin city centre and later to Arhus in Denmark - I struggled a bit with being surrounded by concrete and buildings all the time. In Denmark, I missed the absolute drama of Irish skies - the ever-changing clouds. It felt like being cut off from the energy source - I found it confusing and harder to make creative work. 

Q Why is it important to you to share the story of the things you create, the inspiration, materials and process? Do you think it matters to your customers, and how do they respond? 

Just as we believe time spent in nature is good for you, we also believe that making is good for us. We are so lucky that we get to spend time in the studio and workshop making. I come from a long line of teachers, and I love showing people how things are made. 

For example, the printmaking we do in the studio is very simple - I love that people can watch and understand it. I love it when people comment and say - oh, I remember I did that in school.  We want to inspire other people to get making also. 

Most of our products are sold directly to our customers online. In some ways, the experience of browsing an object in a physical shop is replaced with the experience of connecting with the maker and the creative process. Our customers are often makers, artists and designers themselves and really connect to these stories of making.

Q Makers and artists often find it hard to ‘sell’ their work. Do you feel a tension or resistance to weaving together the creative and commercial parts of running a business, and how do you overcome it?

No, honestly, we don’t feel that tension. 

Speaking just for myself, I think it took me some time to take myself seriously as a maker - I enjoyed it so much but didn’t think I deserved the titles of printmaker or craftmaker. 

While we enjoy the things we are good at, we can sometimes take it for granted and not recognise our skills, or we think of it as “nothing”. Like your friend who bakes an elaborate cake and then dismisses it as just something they threw together at the last minute. 

It took me a while to take seriously the thing that I enjoy and comes so naturally and easily to me. To anyone struggling with this, it is ok to charge money for the thing that you love to do. It could be that you love to do it because you are naturally good at it.

Today, I believe so much in the quality of our work, and I’m proud to represent it and share it with people. We get such lovely feedback from our customers; I know that our work has meaning and value to them. 

Q You have such strong values as people and in your business. How does knowing your story help you stay committed to your purpose? Do you ever feel a temptation to compromise, and how do you resist that?

We all have a responsibility to do as we say, whether as a parent, an employer or as a brand. 

On a housekeeping level, every January, we revisit our longer-term vision and check back in with our brand values. We have a series of workshops to identify any areas we need to work on and create our goals and milestones for the year ahead. If ever there is a gap emerging between what we are saying and what we are doing our customers can sense it. 

Q Superfolk is so atmospheric; there’s a real sense of place and the wild landscape of the west coast of Ireland in everything you share. How do you achieve that so well and so consistently? 

This is a very hard question to answer. Reflecting the weather and atmosphere of the west of Ireland is something we do instinctively - it seems to be the obvious and natural thing to do. For us, the beauty of the west of Ireland is the star of the show, and we are catching up. It leads, we follow. 

We were both raised with a strong sense of pride of place. When that sense of place is baked into you at an early age, it shapes you and the things you make. It never leaves you. Rick Rubin talks about creativity as something we allow to come “through us” - I really identify with this.

On a practical brand level, there are some things that we do to help create consistency. We put our customers at the centre of what we do - when we create something new - we try to speak warmly and directly to our customers. We have brand colours that we try to stick to, use primarily natural daylight in photography, use natural materials, bring our camera with us when we head out for a walk, and have a “house style” in how we post-process images. 

Q How do you adapt your storytelling to the seasons? In terms of written and visual storytelling?

We use social media, newsletters and blog posts to share the world around us. And so naturally - as the seasons change, so our stories shift and change. In Spring, we might talk about how to forage for seaweed or collect wild garlic. In Winter, we might share how to identify trees without their leaves. 

Q Why do you think people respond so well to stories from creatives and makers? Is it becoming more important?

Every night at bedtime, I read stories to our three children. Sometimes, our three-year-old asks me to read the same story I have read to her maybe 50 times before. From an early age, we all learn to love stories. Through stories, we learn about worlds that are very different to ours, we learn to see things through another perspective, and, of course, we learn about ourselves through the stories of others. 

Creatives and makers are lucky in that we are naturally good at creating visuals and images that help us to share and tell our stories with others. But I believe every person (and business) has a good story to tell. I think it is important that we use our skills as storytellers to help others to tell their stories too.

Q Which other brand stories do you love and admire?

From the outset with Superfolk, we have loved Yvon Chouinard’s book “Let My People Go Surfing”. We have a quote from him stuck on the wall in the studio - it reads - “the more you know, the less you need”. Recently, Gearoid had the opportunity to interview Yvon and wrote about it on our blog. Then, recently, the leadership that Yvon and his family have shown in giving away their ownership of Patagonia, dedicating all profits from the company to projects and organisations that will protect wild land and biodiversity and fight the climate crisis, is remarkable.

Closer to home, we really admire Mungo Murphy Seaweed Company. They are a mother and daughter farming abalone in a land-based re-circulated aquaculture system in south Connemara. It is remarkable what they are doing. We need more people and businesses like them who are brave enough to do business differently.

Q What’s the next chapter for Superfolk?

Next up this year, we are working on a new website and a new line of wallpaper, and as always, we are working towards our three-year vision for the company and with an eye on the longer-term picture, too. We hope to become more active in our membership of “1 per cent for the Planet”

In our personal lives - we have three amazing children, two of whom are under 3. And we are slowly renovating an old stone house to make it our family home. We want to enjoy our time with our children when they are so young - so they will always come first. Our family is what we value most of all.

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The Art Of Brand Storytelling With 'We Are Makers'

We Are Makers - Edition Nine

The act of making is fascinating; the ability to transform a raw material into something else, the skill of creating an object that's both beautiful and functional.

‘We Are Makers’ is a quarterly printed magazine bringing together stories of creatives from around the world. The makers featured are all mastering their crafts, valuing the process as much as the final results and taking a stand against mass manufacturing. The ‘We Are Makers’ community is about safeguarding traditions, ensuring sustainability, and inspiring future generations. There’s a slow, considered and gentle respect for the skill of handmade (hands are featured on every cover).

Read on for our Q&A with magazine editors Kate and Jack Lennie to discover their own story and their shared passion for making and storytelling.

Q: Your tagline is ‘We Tell Makers Stories’ - we would love to hear your own story…

A: We Are Makers isn't just our venture; it's a way of life for us—we own it, live it, breathe it. Our paths first crossed in 2011 studying product design at university. The culmination of our academic endeavours in 2015 marked the beginning of a wonderful journey.

We are situated just outside Glasgow, Scotland. From here we have curated a global community of makers and we tell their stories within the beautiful pages of our crafted printed magazine, a project that took flight less than five years ago.

We just knew we needed to do it, so we did it.

The past five years have been marked by immense dedication, resilience during challenging moments, and financial risks, yet driven by our profound passion and an incredibly fulfilling mission, we now get to work with amazing brands in support of makers and to travel the world talking with truly interesting and inspiring people.

Q: How do you decide which makers to feature and how do you approach telling their stories?

A: This is an often asked question. We love our magazine because of the diverse crafts we include. How do we decide? We scroll through Instagram and save any exciting makers/craftspersons/and artists to a folder. We also have a maker's submission form on our website which receives an overwhelming amount of submissions monthly. When we come around to planning an edition, we reach out to those makers both saved and submitted. Kate contacts each maker to explain our mission and how we can provide them with a global platform to tell their story. We give them a detailed document with everything they need to know and questions to consider when writing their story. We also choose a few makers to hop on a call and do an 'interview' with, really an informal chat, which we then transcribe for print.

Artist and maker Lea Durie featured in Edition 9 of We Are Makers magazine, images by Taylah Cunningham

Q: Why do you think having a great story is important for makers, creatives and small businesses and how does it help them share and sell their work and brand?

A: Everyone has a story to tell and each story is unique. When searching for makers to feature, Jack and I often come upon a fantastic maker on Instagram and get excited to jump onto their website and learn more about them; however, there's no about page and sometimes not even their name! I think it's important for makers to have an about page. It won't just be us who are curious; many customers or brands looking to work with the maker will want to know, so I recommend making it easy for them to find out. Last year, I gave our community a challenge to pin a picture of themselves and 'who they are' in the caption to the top of their Instagram profile. It's excellent for anyone landing on their profiles to find out who they are quickly.

Q: What do you think are the common threads that every great maker story should have?

A: Aside from hard work, dedication, and unwavering passion for their craft there is no common thread. A maker can come from any walk of life and find a place for themself.

Artist and maker Henry Wood featured in Edition 9 of We Are Makers magazine, image by Brook Wassall 

Q: For many makers, their personal and business stories are very entwined, what advice would you share with someone on how to separate their life story from their brand story?

A: In our opinion, there's no need to maintain a strict separation; as a maker, who you are and what you do daily are inherently interconnected. We advocate for embracing the synergy between your personal brand and your business brand—fostering an environment of honesty and transparency. This approach not only enhances relatability but also encourages individuals to invest not just in your product but in you as a craftsperson. Sharing your beliefs, experiences, and journey contributes to a more profound connection, adding substantial value to your brand.

Pages from Edition 01 of the We Are Makers Photobook ‘An Honest Representation of the Modern Maker’

Q: Are there any particular stories that have really stuck with you from those you have shared since you launched?

A: Numerous stories have left a lasting impact on us, and what truly stands out is the remarkable community we've created over the years. Many of the featured makers have evolved into cherished friends. One notable example is our podcast, initiated over a year ago to complement our printed magazine. We spotlighted the story of Tim Cullen, a talented penmaker in Canton, Georgia, USA who had quietly followed our journey from the outset. Tim reached out to us via DM, expressing his desire to craft a handmade pen as a token of gratitude for us featuring his story in our magazine.

This unexpected gesture took Jack and I by surprise. Tim's appreciation for our work culminated in a unique pen bearing our engraved logo, prominently displayed on the front cover of edition six. Tim promised to send the finished pen to us in Scotland. At that point, our in-person podcast had primarily explored the UK and Europe, and the thought of visiting makers in the US had yet to cross our minds. However, spurred by our commitment to spontaneous travel in 2023, Jack and I embarked on a 35-day journey through the States for podcasting.

Our first stop was to thank Tim for his generous gesture personally, and in the process, we forged a friendship with him and his wonderful wife Tracy, who is also a maker; a full-time ceramicist. They have since become more like family than friends. The generosity displayed by the makers we've encountered along this journey has been nothing short of extraordinary. We thank every one of them who has been a part of this journey.

Jack and I are just two ordinary, ambitious, curious people who genuinely care about the people we feature. We never like the whole 'we feature you once' and never talk to you again. We want to build this community up and continue to help wherever we can.

Q: Which other brand(s) have storytelling that you particularly love? And is there a maker with a story you'd love to share?

A: None jump out at us, I suppose that is why we started this. We are enthralled by interesting people who refuse to walk the beaten track and choose to navigate the world their way. There's something I think many of us have lost in today's society—the ability to explore. Not only explore the world but, more importantly, explore our thoughts and creativity.

Kate and Jack Lennie in conversation with artist and maker Matt Jackson

Q: What’s the next chapter for ‘We Are Makers’?

A: Our journey has been an incredible evolution since our inception. Establishing a magazine has proven to be a formidable challenge—a relentless endeavour that continues to test our mettle daily. With a clear vision, we have a comprehensive list of objectives to achieve this year.

In our initial stages, we operated somewhat behind the veil of the 'We Are Makers' logo, but over the past two years, we've embraced the inclusion of our personal narratives. In a pivotal move in December 2022, Jack transitioned away from his full-time role to join forces with me in building We Are Makers. Since then, our collaborative efforts have propelled significant and swift growth. I believe that is why we have done so well with growing our community: by putting ourselves out there and being transparent and relatable to the people we feature and meet.

Over the past few months, we've been working on a new website that will become a hub for everything we do. We are working to extend our reach, and in doing so extend the reach of the makers we feature. We see We Are Makers becoming a 'media house' for all things maker-related. It will be a valuable resource.

Alongside this, we want to concentrate on more travel and video content. Travel gives us a unique perspective on how different cultures approach making, craft, and art, something we think is highly important to the development of one's creative career. We are currently discussing with and searching for prominent brands about the sponsorship for an upcoming video series we aspire to produce. So, more on that soon!

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Five Brilliant Brands Created And Run By Women

From around the world, each in a different industry, all committed to daring to do business differently.

Image with permission from The Sussex Bee. Photographer Stephen Winslade

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1. ‘The bees will be starting to cluster in their hives, keeping warm and working through their stores. I think they have the right idea.’

Beekeeping - honey & candles - The Sussex Bee

‘Small batch unpasteurised honey and hand-dipped beeswax candles’

The Sussex Bee is the love of Lia Markwick. A second-generation beekeeper, she evokes the wonder of the world of bees, sharing the daily rhythms of hives and honey-making with a gentle respect and knowledge passed on by her father.

‘Spring wildflower honey. Light and tangy - a little floral signature of the season past.’

Lia manages to make her little corner of Instagram a peaceful and meditative place. Every quietly crafted post provides a fascinating insight into the daily drama of her bees' lives; the joys, the skill and the heartbreaks. All of which she captures in her honey room (*a honey room - sign!) pouring the liquid gold into little pots and hand-dipped candles to sell.

‘Forever absorbed in the wonder of this wild architecture - passing hours in the honey room can feel like minutes at this time of year.’

Do follow Lia and her bees. Their Honey & Light Gift box makes a delicious present.

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2. ‘Pale metallic silver waves that glint in the light…a tempestuous sea designed to flow across your walls.’

Pattern design - Abigail Edwards

Abigail's hand-drawn wallpapers, fabrics and accessories are inspired by nature and fairy tales.

‘never-ending tangled brambles with metallic thorns…creating the effect of being nestled in a bramble thicket.’

Pattern can feel noisy and overstimulating but Abigail manages to create beautifully quiet but detailed patterns - ‘Quiet Pattern’ is the title of her beautiful book. The storytelling of her creations can offer space to allow the mind to rest and the imagination to escape and wonder.

‘I look to the soothing colours of nature, or to transportative worlds, to take us away from the strife of modern life. Harmonious shapes, proportions and colour palettes can bring solace to a restless mind.’

I have the ‘Seascape’ design in my daughter’s bedroom and love how she traces the lines of the waves, gentling drifting off to sleep; I like to imagine she dreams of the ocean. Such a calming image I now have it my bedroom too.

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3. ‘With sun-kissed cheeks, grubby knees, and bare feet, no day went by without a picnic.’

Children’s clothing - Organic Zoo

Paulina founded Organic Zoo over 10 years ago and has grown it into a successful brand that is now stocked in 300 shops around the world. 

It’s a joy to work with Paulina as an ongoing Client, crafting the story of her brand and collections.

‘We would dream up wonderful worlds full of joy and colour. There were few toys available to buy so instead we would pretend, creating games, stories and places in our minds.’

She has a true entrepreneur spirit and dares to do business differently, always staying true to her values while looking for the next opportunity. She takes her reponsibility as a business owner seriously, and gives real consideration to the impact and influence she can have on people and the planet. Through her success she is able to support and create opportunities for other women.

Organic Zoo speaks to a simpler, more sustainable way of living, and every piece of clothing is both beautiful to wear and practical for play.

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4. ‘We champion independent makers, designers and brands, and delve into their worlds’

Independent interiors & lifestyle magazine - 91 Magazine

Caroline Rowland is a true champion of small businesses and creatives. Passionate about supporting brands that really care about what they do, and the communities they serve. As a long-time magazine lover, Caroline started 91 Magazine as a passion project, and it’s gone on to be more successful than she ever dreamed.

‘91 Magazine is made up of a group of women, all passionate about creating an independent print magazine that champions interiors for real living, and supports the creative small business community.’

I was a reader of 91 for several years, before having the opportunity to work with Caroline. I admire the way she’s taken on the publishing industry to create the magazine she wanted to read and supporting so many independent businesses and creatives in the process. She’s one of those people that is always working on a new idea which she’ll then execute brilliantly, including self-publishing a series of books.

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5. ‘in everything from wet winds and hard hail, to soft rain and a mild breeze; to gather specimens of this wondrous weed.’

Skincare & food - Mungo Murphy Seaweed

A playful story full of passion and personality.

‘Even when the rocks are covered in frost and the air numbs their labouring fingers, Mungo's helpers are out there - with the rain spitting down on their heads - picking seaweed. And they love it too. Otherwise, they would probably be doing something else.’

The charming character of Mungo is the creation of founder Sinead O’Brien’s imagination…

‘She gave birth to him late one night as she was trying to write a story but instead what emerged was a business idea.’

Mungo Murphy's Seaweed Co. produce natural seaweed bath and beauty products using sustainably hand-harvested seaweed from the Connemara region of Co. Galway. Unusually for a beauty brand they also produce edible products.

The business has won an award in recognition for reviving what was once a traditional food source and encouraging a greater connection, understanding and respect for coastal life and communities.

‘It’s strange to think that seaweed was at one time associated with poverty and today is seen on fine dining restaurant menus and in fancy spa treatments. As a business owner, I wanted to be able to offer all of the natural benefits of seaweed in its simplest form, for people to use in whichever way is of most interest/relevance to them in their lives.’

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Five Brilliant Brands With Love Stories At Their Heart

From around the world, each in a different industry, all committed to daring to do business differently.

Image with permission from Salted Books. Photographer @Iamlaurengrant

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1. ‘Buy books from bookshops. Not a billionaire.’

Bookshop - Salted Books, Libson

‘An English language bookshop in Lisbon.’

This is a bookshop you can judge by its tote bag - ‘bookshops not billionaires.’

Salted Books (‘because everything’s better salted’) are rewriting the script not just in their carefully curated selection of titles, which owner Alex Holder describes as “a little bit salty”, but in their brilliant messaging.

Losing track of time in a bookshop and leaving with a stack of newly discovered titles is one of the great pleasures in life. But opening an independent bookshop in 2023 takes nerves of steel, passion and pots of just-the-right-blue paint.

‘Tonnes of independent bookshops in Lisbon - we’re proud to be one of them.’

With Salted Books, Alex and her husband are doing even more; they’re pulling back the curtain on the costs of opening and running a bookshop, and it’s not all the romantic love story. With the belief that ‘a transparent economy is a fairer economy,’ they’re experimenting with ‘open accounting’ - sharing their own bookkeeping and the financial realities of the bookshop dream.

Follow all the plot twists of this story on Instagram @saltedbooklisbon. It’s one that deserves a happily ever after.

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2. ‘Limited Edition Jackets, available four days a year.’

Clothing - Paynter Jacket Co.

‘We want to bring meaning back to clothing.’

A story of the desire to make the perfect jacket.

‘We take iconic jacket styles and re-make them using the best materials that we can find. All of our jackets are made to order, in limited edition batches, just four times a year. It's our way of making sure we create no waste.’

Founders and couple Becky Okell and Huw Thomas are fully committed to their values and show it is possible to deliver a no-waste business model, creating clothing that’s beautiful, functional and meaningful.

‘We make what we believe in and love. We only create formulas that we want to use ourselves in our own home for our family and for loved ones.’

Follow Paytner on Instagram and sign up for their newsletter, it’s one of the best.

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3. ‘objects for life’

Ceramics - Feldspar

‘beautiful things made properly and to last.’

Feldspar is an irresistibly romantic story set in the wild Dartmoor landscape.

‘Jeremy and Cath began by making a mug for coffee - with a wonky profile to sit perfectly in the hand.’

It’s a business founded on a love of family, home and things done properly.

“Our first child, Milo, had just been born, and it sort of made sense to quit our jobs and take three months off. Jeremy’s parents lived down here, so we found somewhere to rent and spent our time growing vegetables, reading Nigel Slater cookbooks and throwing pots on a wheel that we bought from a man on the moors.”

Soon after, Feldspar was born: a ceramic and homewares company specialising in elegant, textured pieces ranging from coffee cups to butter dishes.

And a passion for preserving craft.

‘A mug for coffee…with a wonky profile to sit perfectly in the hand (mugs are only cylindrical because they are easier to make that way)…

…mould making, slip-casting and industrial bone china production are all listed as critically endangered crafts by the Heritage Crafts Association in the UK. Many of the larger potteries in England now only serve as museums and showrooms, with all of their wares being made (more cheaply) abroad. We were anxious to preserve the skills and craft required to keep bone china production going in England, and to show that it is perfectly possible to make things from start to finish in the UK.’

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4. ‘An obsession with chairs’

Furniture - Wilkinson & Rivera

 ‘Guided by time-honoured techniques and materials, Wilkinson & Rivera create collectable pieces for the everyday.’

With roots in London and New York, the studio was founded in 2020 by Grant Wilkinson & Teresa Rivera, combining their collective experience in fine art, furniture-making and design.

The couple uses ‘age-old processes to craft enduring pieces of design’, turning hardwoods (oak, walnut and ash) into chairs that appear to ripple and move.

Based on traditional designs, their chairs are reimagined with delightful names like ‘puffed’, ‘rippled’ and ‘wilted’.

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5. ‘A truly personal dance we do and ongoing labour of love’

Design - Pinch

‘For us, the worlds of work and home are delicately intertwined - balanced in equilibrium.’

An enduring love story.

‘every element of this furniture has been made with passion and from the heart.’

Pinch is led by a husband and wife partnership, Russell Pinch and Oona Bannon, creating products that are ‘characterised by a quiet and elegant aesthetic, the result of tireless refinement and an intense dedication to craft and process.’

‘We believe in poetic design and making beautiful things, pieces that endure, inspire and aspire to be inherited.’

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Five Brilliant Wellbeing Brands Using Storytelling To Sell

From around the world, each in a different industry, all committed to daring to do business differently.

Image with permission from Sati. Photographer Tor Harrison

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1. ‘Inspiring you to slow down and invest in rest.’

Yoga & Meditation - Sati

‘Creating space for body and mind.’

Based between Cornwall and a small village on the outskirts of Jaipur, India, Sati is a range of bespoke meditation accessories using natural dyes and traditional block printing techniques.

Owner Claire is calm and thoughtful in everything she creates from hand-printed meditation cushions, to yoga accessories and jewellery (I wear a pair of Sati gold hoops every day).

Sati gently invites us to slow down, to pause and be still.

‘‘Our process is a celebration of handmade craft, traditional practices and nature. Sati means awareness in the ancient language of India and we have made every effort to cultivate this in our approach to the project and the evolution of our designs.’

Every detail, word and image evokes a sense of peace, that can be felt even online and amidst the noise of social media.

A beautiful brand story that manages to stand out with quiet confidence.

‘With this ‘integrity over profit’ mindset, I have also taken the time to find highly skilled local craftspeople to work with, the meeting of whom has felt as organic as the process itself. By donating 10% of our profits to I-India, a charity supporting street children in Jaipur, I hope to broaden the positive impact of your purchase and keep the wheel of kindness turning.’

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2. ‘Wilder: / to become one with nature. Full of adventure, courage & mischief’

Health & beauty - Wilder Botanics

‘Holistic beauty rooted in naturopathic philosophy & centuries old methods combined with modern techniques.’

This is a love story.

Wilder Botanics was created by Rachel Landon, a naturopath and herbalist and her husband Charlie.

‘We make what we believe in and love. We only create formulas that we want to use ourselves in our own home for our family and for loved ones.’

Wilder’s products are made by hand, infused with knowledge, time and patience to create naturally potent herbal products to support a range of needs including sleep, stress and immunity.

Follow Wilder Botanics on Instagram, visit their beautiful shop on Broadway Market in East London, or their website to buy their collection of oils, remedies and teas.

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3. ‘Not your average running club.’

Health & Sport - Running Punks

‘Human development through music and running’

A story of community and a shared love of music and running.

Discovering Running Punks was one of the few good things about lockdown. I started running every day as a way to escape the worry, pulling on my trainers and with a playlist of my favourite tunes running and music was how I coped and the Running Punks community were a big part of that. 

Former GB athlete and musician Jimmy Watkins started filming music reviews of himself on a run while listening to an album. With an infectious enthusiasm and a way with words, he captured the freedom and simplicity of running.

“I believe good albums take you on a journey and tell a story which you gradually figure out after repeated listens. My love of running and love of music were perfect for one another.”

With co-founder Rhodri, Running Punks is a club that brings together people of all abilities under the umbrella of punk independence and individualism, creating a strong, healthy community that’s about so much more than Strava stats.

‘Who cares if you can run fast or far? You don’t even need to know anything about running. The important thing is that you take that first step and you keep on moving.’

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4. ‘It’s time to live more pleasure-filled, vivacious lives in healthy, holistic, conscious ways. Will you join me?’

Cooking & Nutrition - My New Roots

 ‘Irresistible, natural food that happens to be good for you.’

My New Roots is an irresistable story of a life well lived. It begins with a simple tomato…

‘…a yellow pear-shaped one picked straight from the vine and filled with more flavour than she ever could have expected. Since that day her approach to food has been all about satisfaction, meals that satiate on a physical, emotional and spiritual level.’

I was first introduced to the work of holistic nutritionist, writer and photographer Sarah Britton in the first Kinfolk book in 2013. Then Sarah was living in Copenhagen where she created and published wholesome recipes on her blog ‘My New Roots’. Her food was simple, delicious and nourishing and her recipes read like a message from a favourite friend.

‘‘I was so tired of being bombarded by self-interested media and half-truths about how to look after myself, and I knew I wasn’t alone. Since my education was almost like a user guide for my body, mind, and spirit, I thought it was time to spread the word! When I discover something new I am simply too excited not to share! We’re all in this together – let’s help each other be the best we can be! (Yes, I was probably a cheerleader in a past life).’

Since then Sarah has published two cookbooks and launched an online learning platform GROW (which I’m a member of and find endless value in). It’s a curated space where Sarah shares not just her recipes but her knowledge about how to look after yourself on all levels. GROW is bursting with Sarah’s infectious passion and enthusiasm, there’s cooking, yoga, dance, meditation, live classes and even gardening lessons to grow your own ingredients.

‘Movement, meditation, breathwork, connection to nature, and surrounding myself with positive, expansive people that show me what is possible – all of these things have changed my life, and I hope they will change yours too!

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5. ‘ Pack your stuff, set your alarm, get up early, meet us at the shore…we swim at dawn!

Sea Swimming Club - The Dawnstalkers

‘Pirates, mis-fits & mermaids - all welcome! ‘

Celebrating the joy of cold, salty water, Dawn Stalkers is a community, motivating and supporting each other to get the maximum endorphins from the daily habit of outdoor swimming, encouraging people to get in the sea as the sun rises each morning.

‘For everyone who wants to do something for themselves first thing in the morning. For the Dawn Stalker every day is special, no matter the weather, they make the most of it.”

Created by Grant Zehetmayr Dawn Stalkers has grown organically, by word of mouth from a couple of people to a loyal community of hundreds, with one simple message...

‘We swim daily, we swim at dawn, sea you at the shore. ‘

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The Art Of Brand Storytelling With Design Studio 'Joyce Of All Trades'

Joyce Vacca, shot by Mim Howell

Good design is more than a pretty logo, tasteful colours and trendy fonts. It’s about bringing the story and purpose of a business to life, capturing the feeling and heart of what a brand does.

Designer Joyce Vacca creates brand identities that are always thoughtful and rich in meaning.  We collaborated with Joyce for the ceramics business Barton Croft, creating a compelling story to go with Joyce’s brand design, including the beautiful table illustration. Working for a pottery brand was a natural fit, as Joyce describes her work and approach as ‘like a potter moulding clay…shaping a brand from its raw potential, transforming it into a beautiful and sustainable expression of what they do.’

Like her designs, Joyce runs her own business in a soulful way, focusing on balance and well-being. In our conversation, she provides helpful insight into finding a sustainable way to be a successful business owner; wisdom many of us could benefit from at the start of the new year.

Q: January is often a time of reflection and setting goals for the year ahead. What is your advice for small businesses that want to do their best work and drive their business forward in a sustainable way in 2024?

I love the sense of newness that January brings! I think the best thing you can do is take a moment to step back and reflect before you jump into action. Reflect on the past year and ask yourself what things no longer serve you - either financially (because financial health is important) or passion and interest-wise. Priorities that you cared about a year ago may have shifted and it’s important to pivot your business efforts accordingly. I find that it’s especially important for small businesses where personal life and business are so intertwined. Life changes and so our businesses need to shift with them. Don’t be so wrapped up in the frenzy that you run in a direction that’s diametrically opposed to where you actually want to go. List the things you want to cut down or reduce but also expand on the things that get you excited and/or provide the stable foundation to allow you to go after the things that matter to you. Your plan always needs to be a blend of grounded realism and heartfelt vision.

Joyce Vacca, shot by Salsabil Morrison

Q: A lot of your work involves helping brands truly understand what their values are and what makes them unique. Do you go through a certain process with each brand to help them uncover their story? 

I do and it’s one of my favourite things to lead my clients through. I have developed my own twist over the years which I lovingly call my ‘Wayfinding Workshop’. My framework takes us through your why, what and who through a series of starter questions that serve as an intentional springboard into unique (yet guided) conversations where we find the gold and connect the dots. I find the brand story always emerges in dialogue and I love the part where I can see things click in my clients and things suddenly become clear. That clarity of knowing who you are and your place is a powerful thing. 

Q: How important is having a strong brand story when designing and creating visuals for a brand?

Every designer’s brain works a little differently but for me, it’s integral to the process. I love linking back visual decisions to the brand story, researching relevant cultural and historical references and pulling those through into their brand world in a way that echoes their story. You can harness our shared visual language in wonderful ways and it adds so much depth to the work! In practical terms this can take many forms, for example, I would look at typography that reflects both the tone and the context of the brand or develop icons and imagery that may have a personal connection to the brand founder but also tell the overall brand story. For a recent project, I did a deep dive into William Morris’ patterns since the client’s interior styling approach was inspired by his work, so I had a lot of fun building a vintage typography system. I always want to feel like the audience steps into a little brand universe when they interact with the brand.

Packing slip designed by Joyce of All Trades for pottery studio Barton Croft

Q: You’re someone who really prioritises your own wellbeing and creating a business that’s sustainable for you long-term. How do you manage to maintain those boundaries and ensure you’re doing work that inspires you creatively without getting overwhelmed?

It always is a bit of a work in progress. But I think it’s really important to not let your work consume your identity. Your business is something you do, not something you are. It’s something that you cultivate, nurture and steward, a little bit like a plant. Seeing my business as its own entity that I get to shape and harness has helped my mental health massively. I have discovered, I benefit from some routine although I don’t have a very fixed schedule, I try to maintain rhythms that are helpful for me to stay on track. I would also say I’m less ambitious than some business owners so that helps with not constantly feeling like I am behind on my goals and maybe in some ways that’s more sustainable. I do believe good things take time and it’s ok not to be the biggest name in the game, as long as I know I do my work with excellence and leave things better than I found them (and can make a living whilst doing so).  

I also keep an eye out for my ‘give out/recharge’ balance, if I feel like work and life has been a constant pouring out recently I try to claw back some margin doing things that recharge me. So if I have a big few weeks, I schedule in a slower admin day afterwards or even just a potter around my local book shops to give my brain some space to collect itself. Sometimes that’s not possible but I found that there are always modifications for something to at least help me tilt the balance a little bit. I like to look at my energy levels distributed over the week not the day, some days just require me to be all in and other days don’t, so I try to keep an eye on the overall trend of energy expense - and being mindful of other things on my plate that also require emotional and mental energy especially outside of work, sometimes we forget to ‘budget’ for those things. 

I would also say boundaries are not necessarily rules set in stone, different things work for different people. 

Q: Does having a clear and strong brand story help you run your own business, for example, does it help you to make decisions and connect with Clients?

Absolutely! If you know what you’re about, you’re not so easily sidetracked by what everyone else is doing. It’s like a compass that helps you stay true to yourself and when I haven’t followed it in the past, it did not go well for me. For example, all the thoughts on boundaries that I shared with you are rooted in my brand story centred around grounded craftsmanship, design with soul and substance for artisan souls - people and brands that do things well and beautifully. 

Because of that my marketing strategy is rooted in inviting honesty and an emphasis on collaboration and dialogue. My brand is never pushy, never forceful and I will not encourage someone to invest outside their means for example - I have actually talked some potential clients out of a rebrand because it was not the right move for them at the time and one of them thanked me relieved and teary-eyed, so yes I missed out on a contract but it was the right thing to do in her situation. 

This also goes for my pricing strategy, I deliberately have crafted packages for people who want to do things properly and want to give their brand the time and headspace it deserves, structured in a way that allows me to do work that is thoughtfully constructed and well executed whilst being fairly compensated. I don’t lower my prices because it would mean to cut corners and that goes against my brand story, however I offer different services to meet different needs in a way that is congruent with my brand story.

So yeah, getting clear about your brand story can definitely help you make big business decisions.

Image: Tote bag designed by Joyce of All Trades for jewellery brand Studio Adorn

Q: What other brand(s) have storytelling that you particularly love? And is there a brand with a story you'd love to work with?

There are so many!!! I love the concept of Maison d’Etto, designed by Lotta Nieminen, she distilled the story and visual references into such a striking and elegant brand identity, truly one of my favourite brand identities to date. A. N. Other perfumes also have a really strong brand story that weaves through everything they do. 

Personally, I am a huge fan of Joanna Eliza’s photography & videography, they have such a strong brand narrative around slow living and emotional intimacy which would be such an honour to translate into visuals. Another dream project would be some local bakeries that work with regenerative wheat and spearhead other sustainable practices,  I would to collaborate with them!

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The Art Of Brand Storytelling At Christmas With Stylist Alice Walker

Alice Walker, shot by Helena Dolby for 91 Magazine

Introducing stylist Alice Walker. There’s a good chance you already know Alice, or at least are familiar with her work. Alice is in demand for brands, big and small, looking for images that deliver compelling visual storytelling. Her client list includes Organic Zoo, Orna Candles, Molly Meg as well as M&S, Penguin and H&M. Before becoming a stylist full-time, she worked for media agencies including News International and Saatchi & Saatchi.

Alice has an eclectic eye and a talent for creating beauty from simple, natural and humble materials, she can find the potential in items that others often overlook or discard. The images she creates for her clients are full of distinctive character, rich with emotion and show that brilliant branding doesn’t require a big budget.

Images styled by Alice Walker for Organic Zoo

Q: We’d love to know how you approach storytelling at Christmas - is there a specific process you go through to tell a story that feels unique to each brand?

A: I try and mix up the process every time mainly down to the fact I have a very creative brain and can’t really follow rules or do the same thing every time. I tend to start things off by creating physical vision boards or pulling together pages of visual references. Once I have seen what I am styling, taken the brief and looked at the colours and tones, then I start exploring what inspires me. My approach is to keep ideas fresh and pair products with the right props and textures. I’m always thinking about how I can move the brand story for a client, to deliver something beautiful and impactful, but without changing the story too much.

Q: What is your biggest challenge when styling festive shoots? And what is your favourite part about working with brands at Christmas?

A: I really look forward to seeing what the brand has designed and made. Sometimes you are the first person to see the items so it’s lovely to see it all ahead of launching. The biggest challenge is getting into the festive mood in the summer months. This tends to be when Christmas campaigns are shot. There is a lot of digging through archives, old books from charity shops and visiting car boot sales. Although there is an importance to look at trends, what will please and inspire people - it’s still very important to sieve through everything, come up with new colourways, textures and fabrics but get to a point where it all sits nicely together. And when it does come together, this is my favourite part.

Q: You have a really distinctive minimal style that still manages to feel beautiful and generous, how do you select and use props in your work to tell a story?

A: That’s very kind. I spend a lot of personal and work time sourcing items. I could pick things up from anywhere. I try and avoid the tip because I really would use anything (even rubble!) I will find things and my brain will just start to tick and deep down I know certain things will be good one day as a prop. Often when I’m both styling and photographing, I start with all the props on a table and build the scenes from there. Removing them, shooting them, re-adding them again to ensure everything works together and captures a moment, feeling or story. I often give my mum a call at the allotment for fresh produce to use. A lot of it really is instinct and being able to experiment and play over the course of a week which is why shoots can sometimes take a little longer than normal to deliver images that are meaningful.

Image: Orna candles, styled & shot by Alice Walker

Q: Natural elements invariably feature in much of your work, how do you use nature and the seasons to inspire ideas? Is the natural world something that has always inspired you?

A: Absolutely. My styling career started out when I used to forage on walks. I would style tables and little nooks with old wildflowers, use pressed leaves and stems for flat lays, find big sticks fallen from big trees back in London and use them to hang things from in my old flat. The natural world gives a lot back to me, I use it for inspiration every day. Whether it’s the sunlight, shadows, to the colours and tones in flowers.

Q: How does working with a brand that has a clear and strong brand story help when it comes to styling? Is the brand story something you often refer to?

A: It really works both ways. It is always lovely to work with a brand that has a clear direction and story, and people who can write you a clear brief. On the other hand, I work with a lot of brands who have a blank canvas, they have no idea what visuals they need for their products, and you can get creative by forming new ideas. It’s really fulfilling to problem solve for anyone needing fresh ideas, often simplifying things and going back to the drawing board. But I really appreciate and admire those brands that stand out, and I love helping them move ideas and their story on, in a consistent way.

Christmas cards by calligraphy studio Ink & Flow styled by Alice Walker

Q: Can you share some other brands with storytelling that you particularly love? And is there a brand with a story you'd love to work with?

A: There are so many. From the high street brands like Toast who always create earthy and comforting campaigns, I love Garbo and Friends too. To mid/smaller size companies like Sleepy Doe and of course Organic Zoo. I have loved seeing the launch of Glassette, adding some fun into their curation of products and styling.

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Five Brilliant Brands Using Storytelling To Sell At Christmas

Image with permission from Scribble & Daub. Photographer Kim Lightbody

Celebrating Christmas with brand stories full of magic and wonder.

1. ‘Untangle the fairy lights, cue up Mariah, crunch on a candy cane and pour the sherry - Christmas celebrations can officially begin!’

Stationery - Scribble & Daub

‘Scribble & Daub exists to celebrate the joy of giving every day.’

Created by talented illustrator Caroline Kent, Scribble & Daub nurtures meaningful connections, encouraging us to take a moment to write a card and let someone know they matter. The designs inspired by the natural world, are simple, playful and elegant, with wonderfully rich hand-painted colours.

If you’re a Simple Matters Media client, there’s a good chance you’ll have had one of Caroline’s cards. The Christmas collection, which includes paper decorations, is especially brilliant, the lobster makes me smile so much that it now has a permanent place hanging in my kitchen.

‘From Lobsters & Cherubs to Pears and Toadstools. Adorn your Christmas tree in sustainable style with our first collection of beautiful paper decorations…hand-painted with gloriously coloured inks, and strung with pistachio satin ribbon, these heirloom quality ornaments are designed to last a lifetime.’

Follow Caroline's Instagram and visit her website to buy her cards, decorations, prints and commissions. Every home should have a festive Christmas shrimp!

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2. ‘Filled with Christmas wonder’

Homewares & Lifestyle - A G Hendy. A shop, a kitchen, house & a school.

‘Lit by candlelight and with log fire crackling, filled with the smells of spiced wine and wood-smoke and decorated with traditional Christmas decorations of blue fir and home-baked gingerbread.’

A fairytale Christmas full of delight and simplicity. A G Hendy is inspired by Christmas past, a time of parcels wrapped in brown paper, tied up with string and decorations made from natural materials. Rooted in tradition and heritage, the shop offers a modern, more sustainable way to celebrate with an honest appreciation of simplicity, form and function.

The Christmas Book is on my wishlist this year…

‘Like entering the pages of a Grimm’s brothers tale…it’s as if the elves have just skipped out, a few crumbs left upon the floor…’

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3. ‘A Land where anything is possible.’

Children - Polar Post

‘Children see magic everywhere they look because they are themselves magic.’

Polar Post is a team of elves helping Father Christmas deliver thousands of beautifully handwritten and illustrated letters to children with a little magic.

There’s the nostalgia, delight and wonder of a traditional Christmas brought to life through whimsical and imaginative storytelling.

A world where every child is celebrated and magic is cherished.

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4. ‘It's late, the games are out, the after-eight wrappers are discarded on the table, and the raucous fun has begun…’

Homewares - Caro

An old story but one that’s brilliantly told. From Christmas past of ‘21 and the wonderful shop Caro in Bruton, Somerset. The shop is now closed as owner Natalie Jones is focusing on other creative projects (her podcast also called Caro, is a wonderful and insightful listen) but it’s still a favourite example of mine of creating a simple Christmas story to share across a series of Instagram posts that’s memorable, evocative and sells.

The collection of posts celebrates little moments of the Christmas spirit told through the ebb and flow of the day from first waking…

‘We love the thought of a still, warm, country-style kitchen that slowly sees family members creep downstairs to enjoy a hearty breakfast before the unwrapping of presents and celebratory clinking of glasses begins.’

to Christmas lunch…

‘The feast has been eaten and it’s time to take a break. Some are napping, others are around the table chatting over a cognac, nibbling at a gingerbread house...’

and on into the night…

‘We've all had a few too many bubbles so the negroni's are flowing whilst those who are awake jovially argue over whether the dice rolled a six or a four. At Caro we have all the things you need for a fun and playful Christmas.’

The storytelling is so evocative and perfectly captures so many of the universal moments of a family Christmas. The content is still available on the Caro Instagram account. You’ll find the posts starting here.

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5. ‘When the humans left…for the festive seasons, the animals came out of the woodland and wondered: “What makes a Christmas?’

Hotel - The Newt in Somerset

A delightful Christmas film weaving a story of enchantment that feels like stepping into Narnia.

‘A tree? Decorations? Presents? Something to eat? They wondered and they wandered…something’s missing…’.

With stunning costumes and videography it’s marketing on a bigger scale and budget but still with a story at it’s heart.

‘They came to realise being together is what makes a Christmas after all.’

Watch the film here.

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