We know how much you love meeting the people behind the brands at our events, so we're excited to introduce you to and celebrate our wonderful makers here online.
We have some incredibly talented people in our creative crew. Not only are they brilliant designers and creatives, they are smart, they are passionate, and they are all bravely following their dreams and shaking things up.
Find out who they are, what makes them tick and get a taste for what you’ll experience at a General Collective market… you never know who you’ll bump into.
Producing small runs of high-quality leather goods and embroidery kits from her Parnell studio, Jennifer Strange is passionate about honing her craft, learning new skills and continuing to grow as an artist.
You’ve been creating things with your hands your entire life, did you grow up in a creative home?
Yes, my mother knitted and sewed, my father was into woodworking and loved making things.
Yes, my mother knitted and sewed, my father was into woodworking and loved making things.
What was the journey towards launching your own brand like?
Much harder than I thought – deciding what it is you want to do is the easy part, all the how-to and admin parts take longer than you think.
Much harder than I thought – deciding what it is you want to do is the easy part, all the how-to and admin parts take longer than you think.
Which designers or creatives inspire you and why?
Mondrian, Roger Vivier, Florence Broadhurst and William Morris are the designers who have inspired a lot of my work as well as the designers I worked with in the footwear industry. Their designs are all classic, use colour exceptionally and are still loved today.
What’s special about owning hand-crafted products?
I especially like to own products where I have meet the person who made/created them as you get to understand their process and can feel their passion for what they make
How important is it for you to keep learning new skills and developing your range?
How important is it for you to keep learning new skills and developing your range?
Very! I have this year learnt screen printing and flax weaving basics and will in the future incorporate some of the skills learnt into new products-either within my existing ranges or combined products.
