Of all the trade shows we do throughout the year, London's Top Drawer is one of our favorites. There is so much fabulous, fresh design happening in the UK and Europe and this January's exhibition, which wrapped today, was another case in point.
This year, we were debuting our brand new line of letterpress greeting cards and gift wrap featuring illustrations by the amazing Julia Rothman, along with our own vintage-inspired designs. As always, our cards were well-received by our loyal fan-base of UK retailers, among them Magma Books, Castor & Pollux, Live Like This, and Liberty. Between visits, we managed to catch up with a few favorite designers, who never cease to inspire:
Petra Boase exhibited a range of fabulous new mugs featuring her colorful cut-paper and collage-inspired images. Petra is practically a household name in the UK (her cards can be found at Designer's Guild and many independent boutiques) and we hear that her cards are now available in the U.S. at Papyrus and Paper Source stores. It's about time! Petra also has a wonderful range of children's wear, tea towels, framed prints, and even lamp shades, all available at her adorable online shop.
We caught up with Fiona at Wu & Wu - since she started exhibiting at Top Drawer, we've been in awe of her note-perfect Chinese kitsch designs for everything from mugs and totes to wallets and this genius shoe-shine kit. We finally made the connection that she is the illustrator and designer behind the brilliant packaging for Blue Q's Miso Pretty line of cosmetics, which we've coveted for ages! It all makes sense now. Buy their fabulous products here.
We also discovered the wonderful French illustrator Miriam Derville, whose studio, Mimi'lou, produces amazing wall decals for children's rooms (we want to use them to decorate, period!). Check them out here.
And, of course, there was the always-inspiring Marimekko, debuting their Spring 2008 collection. We especially love these trees by Kristina Isola and these gorgeous pods by Erja Hirvi.
As Hello!Lucky's Creative Director, Eunice sets the tone for our pretty, witty, vintage-inspired aesthetic. She describes her San Francisco apartment, which she shares with boyfriend Daniel James, as having the aesthetic of a "eccentric, well-traveled great-aunt." It has a cozy, arty, bohemian feel with well-worn books, musical instruments, vibrant colors, and artifacts from their travels. Many of the pieces come from flea market excursions, and the color palette is inspired by a handmade quilt sewn by Daniel's mother Hope, an interior designer who lives in London.
