Out of the Blue
We partner with London College of Fashion.
In partnership with London College of Fashion, we followed 15 artists through their creative journey. Equipped with an unlined Smythson Portobello Notebook, the participants set out to record their process — from those tentative first marks to emerging themes and final creations — on our signature Featherweight pages.
Spanning textiles, print, fashion design and other disciplines, each notebook is brimming with its owner’s unique artistic journey. Page by page, they reveal imagination brought to life: from references and research to sketches, colour swatches, and the odd doodle.
“The first marks in a new notebook can be daunting because it can feel like you are defacing a very precious and beautifully made object. So, to begin, I open any page and just draw anything from memory, using lots of colours, media, and most importantly lots of mess, that in turn prevents me from becoming overly precious, igniting the journey of bravely putting thought to page."
Rob Phillips, Creative Director, School of Design & Technology London College of Fashion
While some participants planned deliberate pathways through their notebook, others opted to explore on the page – creating iterations of motifs and colours that evolve with each new spread.
We would like to thank London College of Fashion and all of the talented students and tutors who took part in this project.
Credits: Photography, James Rees: @jamesrees | Creative Director, Rob Phillips: @robunett | Model, Sherin Zavazalova: @sherinlova | Artist, Eelko Moorer: @eelko_moorer | Artist, Michela Carraro: @michela__carraro
