The strikingly imaginative and intricately formed
hand-drawn prints of graphic artist Emma J.
Shipley are inspired by the irregular patterns and
unique beauty of the natural world. Starting her
career as a designer before enrolling at the Royal
College of Art to study MA Textiles, Shipley was
scouted by fashion consultant Anne Tyrrell while
she was studying. “It taught me a huge amount,”
she says. “In particular, working to deadlines
and briefs, the importance of commerciality
and understanding the market.”
GET YOUR WORK SEEN
After the success of her RCA show, Shipley
started her own studio, supporting herself
with part-time work and later winning an
award which included a sponsored stand at a
trade show in Paris. It was there that luxury
homeware store Liberty London discovered
her work and placed its first order. She has
now been working with the shop for five years.
“Another key moment was being approached by
Clarke & Clarke, after one of the founders had
bought one of my cushions in Liberty London,”
adds Shipley. “I now collaborate with them on
an ongoing basis, on a whole range of interior
products including fabrics, wallpapers, bed
linen and chairs.”
EXPANDING YOUR BUSINESS
For designers keen to get into fashion,
the Centre for Fashion offers a variety of
programmes for start-ups and young business
owners, ranging from two-day workshops
to two-year courses. A few years into her
business, Shipley entered and won a place on
the Accelerate programme. “The programme
included studio space, expert mentors and
support on PR matters, legal and more. This
was hugely beneficial for me and enabled me
to grow as a business, and start to expand into
new product areas.”SHARED VALUES
When deciding whether to work with a brand,
the key for Shipley is shared values. “Also, it has
to be offering something different to what I
already do. For example, working with Aspinal
of London was great as I don’t do handbags,
and they have incredible expertise in that area,
so we were able to create a really unique range
of products.”
The brands Shipley works with usually
approach her because they’ve seen her work
and believe she can add value or something
different to what they do. “These are the most
exciting projects. Being able to create incredible
products that I couldn’t do on my own, and
reaching a wider audience, is really appealing.”
Shipley has been approached through
Instagram, chance meetings at events and
from winning awards. “Being able to talk about
your work confidently and give that ‘elevator
pitch’ on those occasions when you do meet
someone who you’d like to work with can lead
to introductions.”UNCOVERING LUXURY BRANDS
COMPUTERARTS.CREATIVEBLOQ.COMSEPTEMBER 2019
Signature print, Kruger collectionSEPTEMBER 2019
Extinct wallpaper
Darth Vadar cotton blend scarf in MidnightCoral throw blanket, Kruger collection