Stretched

I have been well and truly stretched by the last few months. Behind the scenes there has been much activity and anxiety – sometimes more of one, sometimes more of the other – and 90% of it has been outside my comfort zone. Indeed, I have frequently been in an entirely different planetary system from my comfort zone of studio practice back here on earth. The mission that has taken us on this journey has been the complete redesign of my Bonny Claith brand, which is the label I use for my handwoven scarves, cowls and other functional textiles.

‘Brand’ is not the easiest word to love in the era of social media, so it was a stretch for me even to start. But it comes down to a very simple idea. Having spent the last couple of years doing all the thinking about what I wanted to make and why I wanted to make it that way, I needed to express these thoughts clearly in the way I present the finished pieces. That includes the way I present them physically, when I am at an event or they are displayed in a shop, and the way I present them online, on my website and – of course – on social media.

I’ve had a lot of help with this. I’ve taken workshops with the Design Trust and Craft Scotland. I have hired intelligent creative women with amazing skills. And I am really delighted with the results. Among other things I have a brand new Bonny Claith logo which is the partner to my Cally Booker logo. I have a portfolio of gorgeous photos of my work being worn by the most elegant model imaginable. I have new swing tags printed on card made from recycled cotton and new sew-on labels made from cork. There are one or two things still in the pipeline, but my refreshed website is now launched and I will be taking my new look to CLOTH#19 in August. By the end of September I plan to re-open my little online shop.

 

Huge thanks are due to wylliecat design for the logo; Anneleen Lindsay Photography for the model photography and styling; Naomi Baxter for make-up artistry and Shayne Brodie for modelling.

The gallery above includes a couple of close-up-to-the-textiles photos which were taken by Stuart, to whom thanks are due for that and for All the Other Things.

2 Responses

  1. Sandra Rude
    |

    Love the new look! And thank you for using a model who is both serenely elegant and looks like a real person, not a Barbie doll.

    • Cally
      |

      Glad you approve! I was delighted to find such a great team who shared my ideas about how it should look.