Makers Choice – Elvira Van Vredenburgh

In the coming weeks we will be featuring a selection of our designers and makers and asking them to choose a favourite piece from their collection.

Today we are kicking off with Elvira Van Vredenburgh, back for another year with us on Sunday 2 December:

I have always had a passion for anything printed and studied at The Royal College of Art leaving with an MA in printed textile design. Afterwards I set up a print studio selling silk screen and then digitally printed fabric designs worldwide to designer names such as Marc Jacobs and Calvin Klein to High Street stores such as The Gap and Victoria Secret.

In 2016 I decided it was time for a change of direction and so Elvira van Vredenburgh Designs was born. Instead of selling to other designers I wanted to become the designer maker.

Starting with a small collection of cards which then turned into wrapping paper, notecards, notebooks and giclee prints and printed silk scarves:

 My first collection ‘Birds’ was inspired by the drama and movement of birds in flight, almost like a dance. I wanted to capture this spirit in her designs. My style is very bold and graphic yet has a delicate edge.

I’m very inspired by 30’s style vintage posters with strong blocks of colour and pattern:

Designs start as a little pencil sketch and are then scanned into the computer and reworked in Adobe illustrator. This is where the play of bold shapes, colour and pattern takes place.

I will be bringing my updated snowflake Christmas wrapping paper to homeworks this year. It is my most popular online product and a current favourite:

Elvira Van Vredenburgh

To kick off our 2017 Christmas season, we’re introducing our selection of designers and makers and finding out a little about what they do and what inspires them.

Elvira Van Vredenburgh originally trained as a printed textile designer and graduated from the Royal College of Art in the 1990’s. She immediately began selling fashion and furnishing designs to top designers worldwide.

In 2016 she started designing her own greetings cards and gift wrap and her collection now includes notecards, notebooks, high quality giclee prints and printed silk scarves. She has a textile designer’s eye for pattern and shape and her style is bold and bright using bird and abstract themes. All products in her collection are designed by Elvira and printed in the UK.

We asked Elvira to choose her favourite piece from her collection and where she finds her inspiration:

‘My favourite product is my printed silk scarves, I love the way a design is bought to life on fabric. These make great gift items for Christmas and are a top seller at this time of year.  I love visiting Tate Modern and am always very inspired when I go.’

Elvira will be at Homeworks on Sunday 3 December.