In February my little brother got engaged to his lovely
beau, Emma, and I went out to purchase a congratulations pressie for them. Now,
bearing in mind they had just purchased and moved into their first home
together as well (I know – two life changing events in one week!), I wanted to
find them a gift which was unique (read: not your average champagne flutes),
special and ‘homey’. Discounting Next and bemoaning the fact that Habitat
closed its doors before Xmas I ventured into Manchester’s Northern Quarter and I
came across Gods and Other Animals by Lorna Lucas tucked at the back of Ryan
Vintage (48-50 Oldham Street). Ticking all the boxes delineating my gift buying
parameters, I was literally spoilt for choice: cushions, prints, cards,
individual fabric pieces, printed fabric in frames, furniture and bags. WOW.
Prolific doesn’t even begin to cover this talented designer. Needless to say I
picked up her business card and hounded her for a chat. Emma and Dave got
engaged in February so it just shows how busy she is that I am now posting this
in June.
When we had synchronised diaries we finally say down at the
end of May. Well, I say ‘chat’ but it was more a show and tell on a grand
scale. Breaking off conversation so she could dash off into her ‘shop’ in
Ryan’s, Lorna brought back armloads of her creations for me to see. Talking ten
to the dozen and effervescing with pride for her work, Lorna took me on a blink
and you’ll miss it tour of her potted history: born in Wilmslow, lived in
Italy, loved France, was a chef, is very academic, speaks Italian, got a 1st
from Manchester Metropolitan in 3D Design, has had Gods for 6 years, been
designing ‘forever’. Then we got into the detail of her prolific work,
“When I am in the
creative process I start thinking about a design then I draw it until I am
happy with it. At the moment I really love swallows. Then I hand print each
design onto whatever piece of fabric I have chosen. If the end article is going
to be a cushion it will be hand stuffed and hand stitched.”
Everything is a one off. Everything.
Talk about the ideal gift – no danger that you will see the same cushion
haunting you on the sofas and chairs of friends and family. No, Lorna’s goods
are truly original. And if that isn’t
unique enough, she also does bespoke commissions.
Lorna is obsessed by animals (which is obvious – her prints
are all of animals) and her business card is a picture of her as a young’un
with a deer at Belle
Vue Zoo. So where did her company name come from? Now me being a bit of a
swot I thought it was literary based and started researching Gerald Durrel’s
book ‘My
Family and Other Animals’ before I met Lorna and envisaged us chatting
about themes, characters and imagery in the book. Lorna laughed her head off at
my suggestion,
“No! It really is simpler than that! The name is purely
based in my love of animals, especially dogs.”
The juxtaposition of animals in a household setting is oddly
workable and more creative than your average offering from Next Home. Indeed
her strapline is “Fearless Ideas for Original Interiors.” So why soft furnishings?
“I am a massive collector of fabrics – I have a wealth of
great suppliers and a household full of vintage rolls. Plus I can design the
cushions any size I want and utilise smaller cherished pieces on smaller
cushions so they still get their glory.”
I could’ve sat and talked to Lorna all afternoon;
she is fascinating. Already growing her customer base by selling her
beautifully designed pieces in London and Manchester, she also has interior
design shops contacting her on a regular basis to apply to stock her work. My
advice? I would get your hands on her stuff sooner rather than later. I just
commissioned her to produce a bespoke cushion for the still gift-less Dave and
Emma. With Lorna’s original designs and beautifully sourced material, another
few months until the cushion arrives doesn’t bother me one bit: it will be
worth the wait and something that Dave and Emma can cherish forever.
