The Bauhaus's abstract, angular and geometric patterns, Wim Crouwel's innovative grid-based layouts and typographic systems, the "Black Square" by Russian painter and art theoretician Kazimir Severinovich Malevich, avant-garde movements such as Cubo-Futurism, and the holographic texture of false-color images acquired by the Spirit rover on Mars' Home Plate plateau (View this photo): these are just a few of the things some of us may spot behind the holographic geometries designer Jamie Bruski Tetsill has created for his branded collections of men/women's and kids' garments and accessories. Yet the new collection is just a fraction of a bigger story.
In 2008, Tetsill was tipped as the next big thing to come out of Scotland thanks to his collections that relied on textile research and merging fashion with interior design.
As the years passed, Tetsill realised all his interests and sources of inspiration - interiors, painting, illustration, sculpture, photography, animation and the world of fine arts in general - were too many to be contained in just two collections a year and opted to drop out of constricting fashion calendars to launch a company with a wider scope. Enter Shapes of Things Ltd.
Tetsill considers Shapes of Things as a sort of platform with one main aim - working and collaborating with Scottish manufacturers to develop a wide range of products, from garments to objects of interior design, all based on high standards of craftsmanship.
The first four collaborations will be unveiled this year, in the meantime the designer has developed a branded identity based on pure geometric forms that he has applied on a wide range of limited edition and affordable unisex products and on a kids collection as well.
Though the company is just starting out, its hybrid nature, focus on special projects and printing workshops committed to encourage social responsibility, may soon reveal as its main strengths.
What prompted you to launch Shapes of Things?
Jamie Bruski Tetsill: While working on one of my collections I discovered the possibilities of tufting, a weaving technique mainly employed in carpet-making, and also started designing large-scale hand-tufted rugs using the facilities at the Edinburgh-based Dovecot Studios. After developing my own collections and taking part in London Fashion Week, I decided I wanted to go back working with Scottish manufacturers, and maybe develop a concept for an innovative company. In 2012 I applied for an entrepreneurial business programme called Starter for Six and run by NESTA (North East Scotland Touch Association). They've had a lot of successful companies through the same programme that focuses on helping creatives working out a business strategy and, with their support and advice, I eventually founded Shapes of Things.
The branded identity of Shapes of Things relies heavily on geometry: what fascinates you about this discipline?
Jamie Bruski Tetsill: Geometry has always been in my DNA, so it was a way to return to my origins and create the identity of the brand centering it around clean geometric patterns and a balanced visual composition. Five geometrical shapes - triangle, square octagon, circle and right angled triangle - make up my brand identity system, the shapes are really my logo. I've been creating lots of designs using this system, so that people may end up wearing the brand without really showing it off, since it's not an overt logo, but it's almost like a code.
How would you define Shapes of Things?
Jamie Bruski Tetsill: Shapes of Things is a lifestyle brand: we do have a limited edition collection including unisex T-shirts and sweats, tote bags and kids apparel, but the main aim is actually the focus on collaborations with Scottish manufacturers to create unique products relating to different industries, from objects of interior designs to fashion. I've always been fascinated by the manufacturing industry and there are Scottish companies that can make amazing products using traditional techniques and skills. Shapes of Things is exactly about this - exchanging skills and equal partnerships - it's not about handing over large sums of cash in order to get a project done. In the last few months I've been talking with manufacturers who have been struggling because of the crisis or with historical family run companies who may find intimidating talking with aggressive businessmen, and they all loved the idea of being involved into a creative process that allows them to actually make a product and then presenting it to people.
What kind of presentations do you have in mind to reach out to your consumers?
Jamie Bruski Tetsill: Each year I'm going to take a different concept on the road through a series of pop up events throughout the UK that will be unveiled also on the blog. For this year I have four partners already and some of the products we are currently developing will hopefully be ready by February and be unveiled also at a pop up event in East London.
Do you feel your process of rediscovering Scottish manufacturers has also got an educational intent?
Jamie Bruski Tetsill: Yes, I do. Building a partnership with the manufacturers will indeed help educating young people to what's around in Scotland. I want to build a directory of manufacturers in Scotland and keeping on adding on to my collaboration portfolio year after year. The other thing I want to aim for is providing a modern image to products made in Scotland following traditional techniques.
What kind of companies and manufacturers have you approached so far?
Jamie Bruski Tetsill: In future I would like to have more small and independent companies, but at the moment I'm going with the ones that are more established and recognised such as Dovecot Studios and Turnberry Rug Works. The latter is a commercially focused company, while Dovecot Studios is an Edinburgh-based tapestry company that worked in the past on creative projects with painters, printmakers and sculptors such as Henry Moore, Frank Stella and Elizabeth Blackadder, producing tapestries for private commission and public collections. One of my dreams is to work with a Scottish leather company and possibly take a product we are all very familiar with - like a garment or an accessory - and revolutionise and recreate it, in a nutshell re-shape it in an unfamiliar way.
Will you expand the offer of branded products on your e-store as well?
Jamie Bruski Tetsill: The beauty of this business is that I'm not confined to the rhythms of fashion weeks and I can add products whenever I want to the online store. I'll produce a whole new series of branded products this year, but I may do that in two different stages. The collection helps funding the more creative projects, and reflects my ethos and style since it relies heavily on geometries and on shiny and holographic surfaces and textures. As a kid I used to love garments with holograms and hyper glow details. This collection has also got an ‘80s feel thanks to its casual playfulness and the vibrant and daring colours of the geometrical motifs.
This is the first time you worked on a kids collection, isn't it?
Jamie Bruski Tetsill: Yes it is. The Kids Collective was actually born as a fun project: I designed a zippy for my niece and ended up having quite a few orders. Many of my friends are having kids and some of them are into design and were looking for different garments from what's on the market at the moment. The designs come in organic cotton, so parents are happy, and they look eye-catching, which means kids love them. Besides, the simple but bold shapes can be used in an educational way since they are very Bauhaus inspired and the looks also encourage equality as they are the same for boys and girls with no emphasis on gender colour-coding.
You have developed a black and white graphic campaign to launch Shapes of Things, what inspired it?
Jamie Bruski Tetsill: I wanted to produce images that were fashionable, but weren't too obvious, a powerful campaign that was well designed and beautifully art directed and that caught people's attention, but that could also be used for art purposes. We built the props by hand, laser cutting out of foam all these shapes and letters and taking into consideration all the details. The result is really striking, and the images from the campaign are available to buy as prints or as an A5 booklet from the online store. This is another aim of Shapes of Things: producing every year a different campaign that pushes things a bit further.
In which area of Glasgow are you based and is your studio open to the public?
Jamie Bruski Tetsill: I'm currently based in one of my favourite buildings in Glasgow, the previous Templeton carpet factory designed by a leading Scottish architect, William Leiper. In a way that's quite ironic since in previous collections I worked with techniques used in carpet-making, and I've been collaborating with rug and tapestry companies for a while now. The place is fantastic: I have a large print studio with huge airy windows and I've started doing printing classes as well, trying to work also with kids with disabilities. I do think that as a company you must have a social responsibility and, even though I'm just starting out and don't have a lot of budget, I think it is important to start in a positive way. I'm in talks with my web designer at the moment to come up with a well designed site that focuses on my creative workshops for people with disabilities since I want to create a nice environment in which people can come and express themselves. That's what Shapes of Things is about - adapting my designs, concepts and ideas to a lot of different environments and products - and that's what excites me.
All images in this post courtesy/copyright Jamie Bruski Tetsill/Shapes of Things Ltd.
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