Style Report: Eco-Design Fair, London 19th June

Tweet this Post

I dashed along to the eco-design fair last Thursday at the Candid Arts Gallery, and despite only having 30 minutes to look around I was really excited to see some top quality eco and ethical design work on show…

One of the most interesting of the bunch was Lucy from RE-silicone. Her variety of silicone lighting, rugs and accessories were like none I had ever seen before and would certainly make a dramatic design statement in any interior.

Izzy Lane had gorgeous high-class ladies shoes, coats and tailored suits on display. All products are 100% vegetarian friendly and the wool for the clothing comes from happy rescued or retired sheep that live at the sanctuary.

I was also really pleased to see Bamboo Baby who I had met a year earlier, and whose business appears to have been flourishing in the meantime. Although they have stopped producing most of their range of general bamboo women’s clothes for now (skirts, tops etc), they have developed their range of baby and maternity wear further to include a bamboo denim which they said was proving really popular. I can’t get over just how soft the fabric is – bamboo really is a wonderful alternative textile. And just in case you wanted to learn a little more I’ve included some info on bamboo textile below…

"Pay attention (!) here comes the science bit"….
Bamboo has many amazing properties – first and foremost it is beautifully soft. It is extremely versatile, and can be used to make knitwear that feels like cashmere, soft and durable denim, cosy blankets, snuggly bathrobes and silky-soft jersey pieces. It is a high-end luxury product.

Finished bamboo fabric is hypoallergenic and thermo-regulating. It can be machine washed at 40 degrees just like cotton. (For environmental reasons we recommend you wash at 30 degrees.)

Bamboo fabric is UV-resistant and completely biodegradable. Bamboo is naturally organic, sustainable (the world’s fastest growing plant) and takes in 35% more carbon dioxide than equivalent stands of other plants. It is a grass, so regenerates without the need for replanting. Bamboo is rain-fed only and helps to reduce soil erosion.

Tweet the Post

'Dialogues of Wind & Bamboo' Saturday 21st June, Edinburgh...

Tweet this Post

If you live in Edinburgh and have yet to make your cultural plans for this weekend, get along to the Royal Botanical Gardens on Saturday evening. Alongside the Scottish Arts Council, Royal Botanical Gardens and China Now; Pure Design are proud sponsors of this cultural arts project, and the work of eco designer Susiemaroon - who is one of several artists engaged in the project.




A little bit about Dialogues of Wind and Bamboo....
This is the story of a journey exploring themes inspired by the connection between plants and people. For Kimho Ip, a composer and musician from Hong Kong working in Edinburgh, wind symbolises change while bamboo represents traditional Chinese culture but it also stands for constant renewal.

In the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh on June 21, Midsummer night, the audience will be invited to join the journey, following different artists as they explore themes of change and continuity through music, art, dance and song. Click here for full details about the performance.

Susie Brown (Susiemaroon) is the designer of Natural Progression, a bamboo sculptural installation for Dialogues of Wind and Bamboo which forms a stage for dancers and musicians on 21 June.

Susie has been writing about the project on her website. Here's a little extract of her latest musings...

"It all began when I arranged delivery of the three hundred, four meter long bamboo poles on Tuesday. Unfortunately my studio is situated in an old building which boasts an alarming amount of fire doors, corners and stairs so Natural Progression is being constructed in the shared drying green out the back of my little flat. To the great distress of my neighbour Audrey, I will be dipping (the bamboo that is) and sawing for the next three weeks."Tweet the Post

Tweet this Post

New to Pure Design? Take advantage of this great offer and register with our gallery now and receive £5 off your next purchase. Click on the banner to register now...Tweet the Post

Lollipops and diamonds are an eco-girl's best friend!

Tweet this Post Who would have thought that diamonds set in recycled lollipop sticks and old vinyl records could be a girl’s best friend! Well contemporary eco jeweler An Alleweireldt, with her brand of award winning jewellery ‘Oxx’, has been brave enough to try and discovered some enchanting results…

An Alleweireldt has combined silver with old rubber balloons, recycled floppy disks with ribbons, lollipop sticks and diamonds, and other similarly inventive combinations of discarded materials with precious metals and gem stones; and we think the results are fabulous. We can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!


An Alleweireldt’s range of Oxx eco-jewellery is available through our gallery shop and there are pieces to suit all wallets. A pair of recycled vinyl bracelets start at a modest £36, ranging up to her exquisite lollipop and diamond necklaces priced at £495.

Tweet the Post

Smartplanet.com review Julie's eco-lighting

Tweet this Post
Made from reclaimed textiles and paper, Julie's ethereal eco lampshades were reviewed this month by respected eco shopping website smartplanet. Julie's lampshades are available from our Pure Design Gallery shop.

Click on the link below to see what our eco-critics had to say....

www.smartplanet.comTweet the Post

London Eco Design Fair 19th June

Tweet this Post If you are interested in meeting some eco-designers head off to the eco-design fair on the 19th June at Candid Arts Gallery. If you can't make it down, don't panic, Pure Design will be visiting and will be looking for new talent and beautiful eco-products for you. Come back and visit us after the event to see what goodies we found...Tweet the Post

Tweet this Post
Visiting Pulse in London on Monday we came across some fabulous eco-designers amongst the Launchpad section of the show.

Launchpad is an area hosting new design talent, with support from various associations including Cockpit Arts, Hidden Art, New Designers, Craft Central, Design Factory, Arts Council, Crafts Council, Design Gap, Princes Trust and Design Nation. Launchpad is endorsed by Liberty.


We loved Jericho Hands’ industrial style lighting designs. On display was a six foot plus high chandelier that started life as a more humble blacksmith's bellows , and antique tea chests, which had been converted into glowing spiral lanterns. Designer and Director of Jericho hands, Alex Randall is led by the unique antique objects she finds, breathing new light and life into these unusual objects. Having received the ‘Most Promising Newcomer’ award at Pulse in 2007, Jericho Hands have been engaged with lighting design projects for several high profile venues. In Cheapside for Ted Baker JH created a flock of pigeons each carrying a bulb in their beak or toes.

We also met Becky Oldfield, of Lost and Found, whose vintage en-sign cushions and silk union jack print cushions caught our eye. Embellished with vintage naval buttons, the cushions were stylish, fun and wonderfully finished. ‘The devil is in the detail’ Lost and Found is keen to emphasise the heritage of the materials used and the processes by which they are revived as well as celebrating the finished works themselves.

Anther favourite of ours was Ruth Cross’s collection of chunky knitted textiles that are ethical, natural, handmade and British. Her knitted designs on show included a fabulous chunky knit cardigan. There were also accessories for you and your home; including charming hot water bottle covers (that had a little pocket on one side for some fragrant dried lavender – mmm!), scarves and cushions. Ruth uses British reared Alpaca and Blueface Leicester fleece which are spun together (using 75% energy from a water wheel) forming a luxuriously soft yarn. They also use woven organic cotton, locally grown organic lavender and buttons hand covered from discarded stag antlers.

Tweet the Post