I’ve been talking a lot about the Danish concept of Hygge lately and about how this year I want to slow down and enjoy what Christmas is really about, which for me is being grateful for what I’ve got and sharing good food and good times with the people I love. So far I’ve talked about foraging and making things by hand, but as much as we try, I know that not everybody will have time to do that, so how else can we embrace hygge? We can start with our choice of gifts – by buying local, by investing in craftsmanship, and by giving people things they will treasure forever. What better place to start than The New Craftsmen pop-up shop in Mayfair? I chatted to one of the founders, Natalie Melton about their inspirations, ethos and plans for the future…
What inspired you and co-founders Mark Henderson and Catherine Lock to set up The New Craftsmen?
Our paths crossed through a mentoring project called Crafted, set up to support British craftmakers by introducing them to mentors in the luxury world. At the time I was working for an organisation called Arts & Business and we were managing the Crafted programme – Mark was one of the mentors which is how I got to know him. Catherine introduced herself when I was running a seminar at Decorex. On learning about her amazing road trip round Britain to meet makers and understand what we still made in Britain I introduced her to Mark, who I knew would be as inspired by her journey as I was. Two years and endless cups of tea and coffee later, the three of us opened the doors to The New Craftsmen – where we represent and sell the work of fine British craftmakers. Each one of us felt that craft, and in particular functional, useful craft, deserved to have its own special home in London – a place where people can not only buy beautiful things but also learn about the culture, traditions and processes that have helped to shape them.
Why is it important to you to support and promote British craft?
There are some 18,000 craft-makers in Britain – probably more, and yet very few earn a living from making alone. It’s a tough business, it’s hard to find outlets to sell work on an ongoing basis, and often even harder to achieve a price that genuinely reflects the value of the object. Skills that have been passed down for centuries are being lost because as a society we no longer appreciate them. That is changing, and we wanted to be at the forefront of helping people develop an appreciation of what it is we make in this country.
Why do you think “craft” sometimes has a bad name and what would you say to counter that perception?
The word craft really divides opinion – we’ve had so many debates with people about it! Yet no-one can dispute the importance of craftsmanship – and for us that is really key to what we do. We are selective about who we work with and we do seek out those who we consider to be really outstanding. There aren’t that many opportunities to see craft where that editing of quality has been done for you. So ‘good’ craft is often lumped together with ‘bad craft’ and so the word becomes devalued. We want to offer a good selection, but also help people understand why we think something is good.
Retail is pretty tough at the moment – what keeps you going through the hard times?
Retail is changing. If you simply open a shop and expect people to come and buy just because you are there then it will be tough. We sell beautiful things, but we also run a whole programme of events – talks, workshops, demonstrations. These experiences are what people want from a retail experience – and if it helps deepen knowledge and appreciation then that is undoubtedly a good thing. We are lucky in as much as we are very much a destination – because we are very hidden away in our current home. So people have already made a very conscious decision to seek us out. What that generally means is that the people who come and see us are already engaged, and generally absolutely lovely, and interested in what we do. Sharing our passion with people and getting their feedback – emails about the products, kind words about the workshops and our makers, definitely make all the hard work and stress worthwhile!
The products you stock through your pop-up in Mayfair and on your website share a very distinctive aesthetic – how do you decide which products to sell?
Catherine is our creative director so the product selection is all down to her. The starting point tends to be items that are very traditional and connected to the cultural or place of a particular region – so we have genuine Fair Isle knits (the only place in London where you can buy the real thing), Sussex trugs made from willow and birch that are hand made and individually signed, and scissors and knives made in Sheffield – the home of stainless steel. And we layer these with pieces that bring colour, charm and innovation – so Nicola Tassie’s elegant and original ceramics, Michael Ruh’s hand blown glasses. And finally we have our own pieces that we have put into production or commissioned – our Orkney chair designed by Gareth Neal or the range of tableware designed by Billy Lloyd.
What advice would you give someone embarking on a similar venture?
Be prepared to work harder than you ever thought possible.
Live with the fact that you will only ever get through about 15{ff546b69e23b1524d799f96c6ba7a638e1f677053b0a2a1568b05315fd5f8fc7} of what you need to do in a day – the list is endless….
Make sure you are absolutely passionate about what you want to sell – people will buy into that conviction.
Make sure you have fun!
What value do pop-up shops offer a business like yours?
The opportunity to test a concept – we aim to move into a permanent space next year – we could never have done that without pop ups. It’s a chance to be playful! You can try different things and people understand that.
The Mayfair pop-up shop is only open until Christmas – why would you encourage people to come and see you in person, rather than just shopping online?
I’m happy if people do both! We are in an amazing space – a real hidden gem in Mayfair, so if people can make it then it is lovely to see the context – and you get to meet us, and learn about the people and stories behind the objects. But if you can’t make it to the space then we are always happy to deal with questions or offer gift guidance to people over the phone before buying online.
What’s next for The New Craftsmen?
We’re really excited about next year! We hope to move into a permanent space, develop and grow our range of pieces, extend our network of makers and develop our online offering.
Finally, what’s your favourite colour?
You can’t beat a soft dove grey with a shot of bright yellow – I’ve got my eye on a Katherine May quilt that does exactly that.
The New Craftmen’s last day at The Garage (14 Adams Row, London, W1K 2LA) is Saturday 21st December and I highly recommend a visit if you can make it before then – it’s a gorgeous space. Opening hours are 11am to 6pm Tuesdays to Saturdays, with late night openings, festive drinks and free gift wrapping on Wednesdays and Thursdays until 8pm.
Further reading for the especially geeky:
- out and about :: happy hygge
- out and about :: christmas wreath
- interview :: folklore
- interview :: ham
