To gain the best possible understanding of the brand and Cari's vision for the brand i thought it would be best to email asking her a few questions about the brand in general and her inspiration behind it.
Questions i asked -
When and why did you decide to start Cari & Carl?
What has been your inspiration behind the products?
Who is one of your favourite designers?
What is the ethos behind the brand?
What is your vision for the brand ?
Who are you desired stockists?
In terms of the rebrand do you have specific stock you wish to use for things like tags and the look book, are you wanting the type/logo to be re-branded in a similar minimal way and are you wanting to keep with the current colour scheme?
In terms of the look book we will just keep it featuring Cari and Carl knitwear , the Ed Chadwick images you mentioned are they the images from your website? I would like to be sent any photography you have that you want to have included in the look book as i need to start that as soon as possible. (Please include studio images)
Look forward to hearing from you
Kind Regards
Victoria Redmond
Hi Victoria,
Below are my responses to the questions and information regarding photos.
Note regarding the name: cari + carl in lowercase with a plus sign not ampersand. I also refer to the company as a studio rather than a brand because it is too small to really justify that term.
'When and why did you decide to start Cari & Carl?'
I started cari + carl in 2013. I started the studio because I wanted to develop products from the fabrics I’d been designing and making. I enjoy challenging the structural properties of different techniques and materials to construct novel or unusual fabric structures. It was from these fabrics that I had created scarves and shawls for my own use and I then developed into cari + carl products.
'What has been your inspiration behind the products?'
The initial inspiration for the fabrics was a technical problem I set myself- I wanted to develop hybrid knitted structures that incorporated knotting and braiding within the knitted structures. This involved working directly with different techniques and methods in the manner of an engineer / structural designer more than an aesthetically-driven designer. As the fabric structures developed, however, I looked for visual inspiration relating to the aesthetic of the emerging fabrics, such as traditional knitted cable structures, lace fabrics, fishing nets, lobster pots, and also three-dimensional structural patterns, such as scaffolding and architecture- essentially any structure that possessed a regular rhythm of positive and negative space.
From these fabrics I wanted to create classic, easy to wear scarves and shawls in a classic colour scheme that won’t date. The shapes of the scarves and shawls are simple so as not to detract from the complexity of the fabric structures. Solid areas of knit are punctuated by voids, creating fabrics that are evocative of nets and lace. The voids alter as the fabric is moved, resulting in a dynamic aesthetic that changes depending on how the scarves are worn. The linearity of fabric pattern draws the eye through the structural pattern, and the infinity scarf is particularly pleasing as the eye can continue its journey around and around the pattern unendingly. It is this kind of structure and pattern information that excites me.
'Who is one of your favourite designers?'
I don’t have one favourite designer, as I tend to cast my net quite widely when looking for inspiration. Master craftsmen who’ve spent a lifetime perfecting their craft inspire me; the obsessive nature of wanting to know everything and do everything perfectly appeals to me. Hole & Corner magazine is a new magazine through which I’ve found new inspiration, such as Des Pawson, who runs the Museum of Knots and Sailors’ Rope. I also look to artists and designers who work with structure, repetition and systems, such as artist Timo Nasseri or sculptor Edward Mayer. I appreciate the logical formal qualities of a complex structure, whether architecture, sculpture or fabric design.
'What is the ethos behind the brand?'
The ethos is simply to create beautiful wearable knitted garments from striking and unusual fabrics, which are handcrafted in the UK. I cite the work in the designer craft context rather than the broader fashion context as the products are designed and crafted to be a lasting part of someone’s life, and my emphasis on quality materials and carefully crafted fabrics aligns more with the integrity of the craft sector. I see the scarves more as wearable craft objects rather than simply seasonal scarves.
'What is your vision for the brand ?’
I want to keep the studio as a small-scale craft company, retaining both the designing and making roles even as it expands. As the products are intensely time-consuming to make they are made in limited edition and I expect this to be more marked from the next Autumn / Winter season onwards.
'Who are you desired stockists?’
London-based craft outlets and lifestyle concept stores are my primary targets as the studio expands. The New Craftsman is a great example of a new craft gallery, which promotes and sells work by contemporary designer craftsmen in the UK. Darkroom in Lamb’s Conduit in London is a great lifestyle concept store, which beautifully curates a range of accessories, both fashion and homewares. The curation of the latter and of Snug Gallery who currently stock cari + carl scarves are perfect examples of the kind of curation that fits with my vision for the studio. The products are all beautiful and functional objects and are styled by theme or curated in small groups of similar pieces.
‘In terms of the rebrand do you have specific stock you wish to use for things like tags and the look book’
I’m happy for any of the current products to be used.
‘are you wanting the type/logo to be re-branded in a similar minimal way’
I’m happy for you to play with the logo. A slick minimalist aesthetic is what I have tried to achieve with the branding to date.
‘and are you wanting to keep with the current colour scheme?’
An unobtrusive colour scheme is important but again explore alternatives if you wish.
I have created a Dropbox folder that contains the photos. There aren’t very many… The photos I take aim to show the scarves primarily are beautiful objects more than fashion items, hence there are no photos of the scarves on people. I’m reviewing this as people need to see how they can wear them- and that men as well as women could wear them- but I like the simple aesthetic of the scarves all being photographed in the same minimal way. Not sure the range of photos gives you much flexibility in terms of the lookbook but it’ll force you to be more creative! I have included three photos that I took in Snug Gallery but the content of the images is still Ed Chadwick’s (Snug’s owner) IP. If this were a real life project I don’t think you’d be able to use images of Snug without Ed’s permission and you’d need his agreement on image selection. It’s up to you if you wish to use them.
Let me know if you need anything else or if there are gaps in the information I’ve given.
Merry Christmas!
Regards,
Cari
Further Research
After getting some feedback about the studio and the different people/blogs who inspired the Cari + Carl brand i began researching further. I first looked at Timo Nasseri.
http://www.jamesvparry.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Artist-profile-Timo-Nasseri.pdf
ABU DHABI ART 5 - 8 November 2014
October 31, 2014
with Sfeir-Semler Gallery
Saadiyat Cultural District
Abu Dhabi, UAE
Hole & Corner celebrates craft, beauty, passion and skill. It’s about people who spend more time ‘doing’ than ‘talking’, who put content above style, whose work is their life. Through a bi-annual print magazine and a daily updated digital alternative, we aim to promote local trade and talented individuals, whether professional or amateur, exploring and celebrating the landscape that inspires them.
ABU DHABI ART 5 - 8 November 2014
October 31, 2014
with Sfeir-Semler Gallery
Saadiyat Cultural District
Abu Dhabi, UAE
Hole and Corner Magazine
Home and corner Home Page -
Products -
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Darkroom is an independent store, online shop and design label based in London. Our goal is to provide a stimulating antidote to the generic and bland, whilst also recognising the basic human desire for beauty and comfort. We believe that good design should be accessible to all and can come from the most unlikely corners of the world.
We’re drawn to graphic contrasts, the geometry found in tribal patterns, and the structural simplicity of modern and postmodern design. Our ranges are an eclectic mix of handmade accessories for men, women and the home, including bold jewellery, objets d’art, graphic prints, textiles, stationery, homeware, soft furnishings, leather goods, bags and more. Whilst some of our pieces naturally lend themselves to either men or women, many items are apropos for both.
ISSUE 02
ISSUE 03
Hole and corner magazine use's similar unusual layouts with large images and little text. The magazine uses lots of photography and real storys for its content. I really like the use of the grids. The use of type works together as a collective. The tone of voice for this magazine is honest and informative.
DARKROOM
I next had a look at darkroom London, this is one of the desired stockists that Cari had mentioned.
Darkroom is an independent store, online shop and design label based in London. Our goal is to provide a stimulating antidote to the generic and bland, whilst also recognising the basic human desire for beauty and comfort. We believe that good design should be accessible to all and can come from the most unlikely corners of the world.
We’re drawn to graphic contrasts, the geometry found in tribal patterns, and the structural simplicity of modern and postmodern design. Our ranges are an eclectic mix of handmade accessories for men, women and the home, including bold jewellery, objets d’art, graphic prints, textiles, stationery, homeware, soft furnishings, leather goods, bags and more. Whilst some of our pieces naturally lend themselves to either men or women, many items are apropos for both.
After looking at the Darkroom website and imagery i can see the vision behind the store is for modern and geometric pieces. They feature sections with tribal themes varying from bright to minimal colours.
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