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DOWSE Design – an insight into the motivations of an independent retailer

DOWSE shop front

DOWSE shop front
Image: DOWSE Design

People open shops for all sorts of reasons.  Making money is an obvious one, but in my experience this is not the main motivational factor for independent retailers.

During my research for this blog series I have been privileged to be given an insight into what really motivates some of the independent retailers in Brighton and Hove. Today’s feature focuses on those motivations and how they feed into the very soul of an independent business.

Profile picture of Susannah Dowse

Susannah Dowse

Susannah of DOWSE is a great example of someone who puts their money where their mouth is.  Unashamedly supportive of buying local, giving ethical principles higher priority than pure profit in her purchasing decisions.  This is a design business which recognises that no matter how beautiful something is, purchasing an item made at the expense of another person’s well being leaves rather a sour taste in the mouth.

This might lead you to the conclusion that in imposing such strict purchasing criteria Susannah has had to make compromises on the quality of her product offering. Far from it. In fact her Brighton based shop offers a richness and diversity of products that will have customers beating a path to her door.

I love the statement that DOWSE is “Part of a movement across the country that appreciates the value of well made and distinctive products made by individuals over chain shops and mass manufacturing, DOWSE makes it easy to make the world look better and be better.”

Keen to know more I asked Susannah why source locally and why a high street in Brighton? I’m sure you’ll agree her answers are fascinating….

Susannah’s goal for DOWSE is “to enhance people’s belief in and value of British design and manufacturing and show that it can be affordable, that buying locally is good in the creative industries as well produce such as food.”

“I’d always thought a destination to find special things was important in every town. Brighton has lots of amazing shops but mainly sourcing from elsewhere, i.e. China. I wanted a shop that was supporting local and British designers and manufacturers. Choosing the best from what’s made locally. I believe that quality affordable design is being made in this country and we should support the people making it. Often these designers are the ones copied by the high street and the items then manufactured in China. The money should be in the designers pockets not some factory owner of conglomerate’s share holders.

Two of Susannah Dowse tiny geometry necklaces

Some of Susannah’s beautiful jewellery
Image: DOWSE Design

I believe we need to keep manufacturing in this country alive and the skills continued to be passed down. Our importing from China won’t last for ever, their economy will become so strong they will end up mainly producing for their own market. Then we’ll be at a loss and have lost our ability to create for our needs.

So to compete with Chinese imports we need to keep creating and making. It is hard to compete online as people are mainly motivated by price in their purchases. We can’t compete with that. So I think to be able to offer diversity and directional design people should be able to see and touch it. And doing that in a great environment is an experience not replicated on the internet. I want my shop to showcase what’s great about what’s going on here and in Europe, things being made by hard working creative individuals and small businesses that make things you fall in love with. It’s hard to do that online.”

Which leads us nicely to Susannah’s second motivation for opening a shop on the high street and why she chose to base it in Brighton.

“I think it’s important to keep our high streets interesting…we need nice environments to stimulate us.”

“Selling jewellery, mid century British furniture, prints, homewards, cards, stationery and more. DOWSE have collaborated with noted local designers Baines & Fricker to create a unique installation for the shop, making the whole experience of shopping much more like a dream and a stroll than a soulless troll through the internet.”

Various interior shots od Hove based Dowse Design

A glimpse inside the beautiful Hove based shop.
Image: DOWSE Design

“I think the pace of life in Brighton here is really conductive for creativity, though admittedly maybe a little too laid back sometimes. It’s a different environment to London of course which has a hugely dynamic creative force. But that doesn’t suit everyone. Brighton offers an alternative, near to London and with all the good aspects of London, i.e. access to culture and and a metropolitan feel, but with a more gentle pace and for some that’s necessary. I’ve lived in Brighton since art school and have worked a lot in London, but I’d stick with Brighton always.

I chose to open the shop on this stretch of Western road instead of the Laines, which is probably where you’d expect to see this kind of shop. I live in the Brunswick area and appreciate the diverse independent businesses there. I wanted to be a part of that neighbourhood. I wanted to provide a destination shop for good design, but also serve as a good neighbourhood shop where people needn’t go all the way in to town to get a gift for someone last minute, but could just pop round the corner.”

The shop is also the studio for DOWSE. You’ll find Susannah there designing and making the jewellery and dreaming up new product lines. Current opening hours are 10 – 6 Tuesday – Saturday 11 – 4 Sundays. 133 Western Road Hove BN3 1DA near Norfolk square.

But if you can’t make it to Brighton don’t worry you can also purchase online, simply visit http://dowsedesign.co.uk/

Make it Yourself with MIY Workshop

There is a joy in being able to create something yourself.  A whole new realm of possibility is unlocked when you aren’t restricted to buying something someone else has made for you but instead you can make exactly the thing you need or want.  But if you’ve never tried making something for yourself where can you go to get the necessary skills? Evening classes at the local college are of course an option but it’s not always easy to fit them in or perhaps they don’t teach the exact thing you are wanting to learn.

Wendy Ward of MIY  Workshop

Wendy Ward of MIY Workshop

Brighton based Wendy Ward opened MIY Workshop in 2012 to help people create garments for themselves.  Offering a range of courses suitable for a variety of abilities as well as the chance to learn more about the history of fashion.  A quick look at her blog shows the happy smiling faces of customers proudly wearing their creations.

I asked Wendy to answer a few questions to give more insight into what she does and why.

 

What’s the best thing about running MIY Workshop?

Being able to spend my time doing what I love!  I’m in control of my time and I decide what to do and when and how.  I love the wide variety of people that I get to meet and it’s really satisfying when someone new to sewing makes their first garment and is pleased with the results.  Students are often surprised at what they can achieve, that’s very satisfying for me as a teacher.

 

MIY Workshop Image: Wendy Ward

MIY Workshop
Image: Wendy Ward

Does being based Brighton make a difference to your business?

Brighton is a very creative and alternative place which means it’s a great place to have a creative business like mine.  I’m located in the North Laine area in the heart of the city which is buzzing with independent shops and creative businesses, it’s got a nice community.  I’m also not far from the train station which means I attract students from outside of Brighton too.  It’s also good to be close to London; I design and sell my own sewing patterns (www.miycollection.co.uk) and have started to do some of the big sewing shows like the Knitting & Stitching show (where I’ll be in October!), so it helps to be close to big events.

MIY Collection - available at www.miycollection.co.uk  Image: Wendy Ward

MIY Collection – available at www.miycollection.co.uk
Image: Wendy Ward

What would you say to someone thinking about taking up sewing? 

The sewing room Image: Wendy Ward

The sewing room
Image: Wendy Ward

Practice, practice, practice is the first piece of advice that I give to all my students.  Sewing is just like any other practical skill and there’s no point in just learning loads and loads of new techniques if you never actually put them into practice.  Just sew as much as you can, be prepared to make mistakes and learn from them and ask for help when you need it – either from a book, a video tutorial online or a sewing class.  I often say to students who get a little frustrated at the start – look you wouldn’t go to one piano lesson and then expect to be able to play in a concert would you?!  Same applies to sewing – don’t start with a silk evening dress, start with simple shapes and easy fabrics, but most of all – make something you WANT to make or that you NEED, the whole point is to love the process of sewing which means being motivated by what you’re sewing, otherwise, what’s the point?  You might as well go out and buy a ready-made product.

Here’s the details of how to find out more:

www.miyworkshop.co.uk
MIY Workshop is at 33 North Road, BN1 1YB       Tel:  01273 693451

MIY Collection sewing patterns: www.miycollection.co.uk

Join MIY Workshop on facebook www.facebook.com/miyworkshop

Follow MIY Workshop on twitter @wendywarduk

Interview with Vicky of Woah There Pickle

Woah there pickle logo

I have a weakness for print. Whether it’s a linocut, a screen print or letterpress; there’s a good chance that it will make me smile.  Couple beautiful print work with a dose of wit and I’m yours for the taking!

Recently I came across Vicky of Woah there pickle – a veritable sweetshop of printed loveliness and wit.  Within hours I got in touch with Vicky and asked her to share more about her work.

Grab yourself a cuppa and enjoy….

A selection of Woah there pickle designs

1. Describe yourself in three words

Brighton’s Printmaking Pickle

2. Your work seems full of humour, warmth and colour – are these attributes that you consciously include in your work.

You've got more front than Brighton

Image: Woah there pickle

 

Definitely, humour is the most important. I like printing things that you wouldn’t necessarily think of as subject of a print. Silly things, nostalgic things and more so now I’ve been using more typography, things I’ve heard. I really like incorporating little  things I’ve learnt while travelling so that when someone else recognises that thing as specifically New Orleans or specifically Tel Aviv its something special.

 

 

Rocket Ice Lolly Lino Print

Image: Woah there pickle

 

I’ve also always been inspired by people who use really bold colour. My absolute favourite artist is Keith Haring and one of the reasons for that is he never shied away from really just going with it with colour but always kept it simple. It adds up to an easily recognisable but exciting style of work which I really try to apply to in my linocuts too.

 

 

3. I love the variety of your subjects…do you keep sketch books of ideas or run home as soon as inspiration strikes?

I’ve never been good at keeping sketch books on me so I have a big long list on my phone which isn’t very art of me I know! You never know when you’ll see something or someone will say something in a different way and you think ‘Right, that’s going on the list!’. Its got pretty long now so I don’t think I’m ever going to run out of things to linocut!

Comedy Disguise glasses, nose and moustache

Image: Woah there Pickle

 

4.Lino printing involves being skilled in a lot of processes. Do you get more enjoyment from carving the design or printing it?

Print roller and scottie dog card

Image: Woah there pickle

 

That’s one of the things I really love about linocutting. The carving and the printing are two really different processes so if I’m flagging a bit doing one then I can switch to the other.

Design being cut out of lino

Image: Woah there pickle

 

 

The carving can be really relaxing when you’re not stabbing yourself with the tool and once you have a design is very methodical. But there’s something very magic printing a block for the first time because you never really know how its going to come out, especially with a few colours.

 

 

 

5. America seems to have a big place in your heart, tell us more..

American Gothic Lino Print

Image: Woah there pickle

America is really a fascinating place. It’s so strange that its one country when sometimes the different parts of Europe feel like they have more in common with each other than the different states of America in landscape, climate, culture or people. And it has the benefit of me being able to speak the language, well, kind of!

I’ve been around a good chunk of it and my second home is definitely New Orleans. You get such a sense of important and sometimes weird history there with strange and exciting traditions and such a unique culture. The food, music and festivals are all incredible and it all comes wrapped up in that Southern hospitality you don’t find in all states that’s for sure!

New Orleans Water meter cover lino print

Image: Woah there pickle

 

The first time I went I was living and working in a hostel over Mardi Gras season so I’ve made some incredible friends there and they have very courteously spread themselves all over the country and the world so I have even more places to go and visit a friendly face now!

 

 

 

6. Can you tell us more about your internship with Hatch Show Print?

I could talk all day about that place! I’d been told by a friend that as I was passing through Nashville I would have to stop in there and it really is an Aladdin’s Cave for anyone interested in print. I fell in love with it and stored away the idea of applying for their internship programme. 4 years later I thought I might as well give it a go, applied and was over them moon when I got it.

Hatch Show Print interior

Image: Woah there Pickle

For those who don’t know, Hatch Show Print is a letterpress print shop that has been producing posters since 1879. That’s the same year the lightbulb was invented! It eventually became famous for printing posters for some of the most iconic popular music acts there have been, including Johnny Cash, Elvis, Hank Williams and anyone who was anyone in the country music scene. Since the mid 80s its been run by the amazing Jim Sherraden who has kept the place thriving in a time where people automatically jump on a computer to lay a poster design out. He now says that this is the best thing that could have happened to the shop because it sets aside what Hatch and other letterpress printers do from computer made design and offers a more human and tactile alternative which people cant get enough of. They have continued to make posters for incredible acts right through from Led Zeppelin to current bands like Mumford and Sons today. We had people phoning before the poster was even designed to buy copies of that one!

robot print

Image: Woah there pickle

During my time there I learnt, from scratch, the running of a letterpress poster shop. There, the designer is also the printer so I had to first get to grips with the humongous archive of wood and metal letter blocks, hand carved lino blocks and metal photo plates and where it was all kept which was a mammoth task in itself! We then had to learn the traditional skills of typesetting, making colour separations, locking in the block on the press, making sure everything was printing and bumping up things that don’t, printing with the correct inconsistency of ink. Pretty soon we were working on live jobs and I made posters for a wide range of clients like The Country Music Hall of Fame, a local school, Counting Crows and the comedian Kevin James.

No Drinks or Drunks on the piano lino print

Image: Woah there pickle

 

My favourite thing about working in letterpress is how you have to learn design within the limitations of the process. It really forces you to make creative design decisions like if you don’t have enough ‘e’s in the typeface you’re using do you find another typeface altogether? Switch a few letters to a new one and make a mix? Find a good looking 3 and put it upside down? It all adds up to such a lovely quirky character you just don’t get on a computer.

 

7. You are obviously a big fan of craft fairs – what do you love most about them?

Vicky at a craft fair stallCraft fairs are great for two main reasons in my eyes. Firstly, making crafts or prints can be such a solitary job. Craft fairs are one of the big opportunities to meet up with people who are doing some of the same things as you so are effectively the colleagues you get to have a gossip with, see what else is going on with exhibitions or other fairs and talk about the things you’re doing and love. Luckily now I work in a studio so its not quite so lonesome but its lovely to be a part of that tight knit ‘scene’!

The second biggest pro to doing fairs is that there are not a lot of other opportunities to present your work to people face to face in a laid back atmosphere and get to chat to them about it. If you sell work on line of in galleries you don’t get a feel for the kind of person buying your stuff. With them in front of you, having a good old nose, they tell you which bits they like or which bits remind them of a thing their Grandma used to have or what else would be funny. That kind of feedback is not only invaluable as market research but is just really lovely to hear face to face!

8.  What’s it like to be surrounded by such a vibrant community of designer makers in Brighton and how does Woah There Pickle get involved?

Badges with woah there pickle designs on

 

If you’re going to have a go at making a living from anything creative or crafty I think Brighton is one of the best places in the world to make that happen. I think it must be the pull of the beautiful sea! There’s so much going on down here and quickly you will get to see the same familiar faces at events across the city.

Spider monkey print - work in progress

Image: Woah there pickle

Everyone is so open and friendly in the making community. I’m fairly new to it and already feel like I’ve been welcomed in by so many talented people who offer help and advice or a bit of a chat. Also the diversity of what people do is so interesting as well. People are truly doing some unique things and it makes me want to be better at what I do and make a real success of it.

There are so many ways to become involved in the community as well, it’s not just craft fairs. There are the monthly meet ups and talks put together by Craftaganza, the Brighton Etsy Team which also creates events and provides support and the twice yearly Open House festivals Brighton has to name a few. Really there is always something going on in Brighton!

 

9. What’s your favourite piece in the Woah There Pickle shop and why?

gummy bear cards

Image: Woah there pickle

Generally I think that the last thing I’ve done is my favourite print. I guess that’s a good indication that I’m still getting better at it! The last one I’ve done is a Gummy Bear card which is a great example of a print making me giggle once I get that revealing second colour on.

Betcha I can tell you where you got them shoes

Image: Woah there pickle

 

Other than that I really like the ‘Bet you I can tell you where you got them shoes’ scam one from New Orleans. I thought it might be a bit too much of an in joke to have any appeal else where but people from all over the world seem to by them which really makes me smile. (The answer is generally on the street or on your feet!)

 

 

10. What can we look forward to from Woah There Pickle this year?

All sorts! The studio I’ve started working in has an insane screen printing set up so although I’ll most likely keep using linocutting as my base for design I’ll be able to produce bits on fabric and combine the processes which I’m really excited about. I’m also starting to team up with some great independent retailers so I’ll hopefully gain more of a presence in physical shops this year so keep an eye out!

Hello Treacle - any chance?

Image: Woah there pickle

If you want to find out more about Vicky and her work or you’d like to buy something then here’s the information you need:

Website: www.woahtherepickle.co.uk where there’s a calendar of events to find me at craft fairs etc.

Twitter: @woahpickle

Instagram: woah_there_pickle

Facebook: www.facebook.com/Woahtherepickleprints

 

 

 

 

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Rosie and the Boys is a creative family team with a love of colour and soft spot for parties. Our products are handcrafted with attention to detail, quality materials and a smile on our face! Inspired by Nature and designed with the latest trends in mind, we provide a range of party decorations and greetings cards with a contemporary twist.

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