Indies in Lockdown - Elin Horgan

When faced with a situation that none of us have ever experienced before it knocks the way we live our lives for six. During the height of the pandemic we all adapted to change, with many of our jobs and livelihoods slowing down and in some cases coming to a complete halt. 

As an independent business owner you didn't have the opportunity to furlough yourself to spend more time with home-schooling or taking a mind break, you were REALLY worried about how your business would continue and when the next payment was coming in! 

Or, perhaps, you did have some extra time on your hands, but couldn't get hold of the stock that helps you to create your products during lockdown? What can you do instead?

Where there is an indie maker there is always a way....

Jewellery designer Elin Horgan 

Elin Horgan

Creating beautiful and elegant handmade jewellery in recycled silver, Bristol maker Elin Horgan became inspired to design her new Shapes & Spheres collection after realising she couldn't get new stock and components from her regular suppliers. 

This interview took place during lockdown in June 2020. 

Elin's wax carving tools used to make her unique ring creations

How are you? What has your situation been like during lockdown?

I'm ok thanks (well, I am today at least!)....hanging on in there in these strange times.  

I've been in lockdown with my two kids (who are 5 and 8) and my husband (who is currently working from home) so, like many self-employed creatives it's been quite an adjustment having everyone in the house with me all day every day.

Sphere pendents from £60 by Elin Horgan

How has lockdown affected your business and the way you work?

Business has been mostly OK.  

My stockists have, of course, been closed, but some have taken their shops and galleries online. I'm hugely grateful to everyone who has been buying jewellery from my website during this time as their support has really kept me going!

I usually run jewellery making workshops at Kiln Workshop just off Gloucester Road, Bristol, so have had to put all of those on hold for the time being.  I'm really hoping to be back teaching in the Autumn as I miss it so much!

Silver orbit hoops by Elin Horgan 
Photography by Paola Leonardi 

Has this time helped your productivity?

It's a struggle to fit much in at the moment although I suspect that having less time actually makes me more productive as there are far fewer opportunities for faffing about.  

There's definitely a lot of evening and weekend work (and not very much homeschooling) going on at the moment.

Elin Horgan's best selling Triangle stud £45

Have you become more or less inspired in this time?

After a few weeks of adjusting to our new family set up, I had a really creative burst and produced lots of new work.  

As lots of jewellery making suppliers were closed to begin with I wanted to challenge myself to make some pieces by using materials I already had; repurposing and recycling my scrap silver where possible.  

The new Shapes & Spheres collection of one-off pieces is now available to buy on my website and I love the fact that each piece is totally unique and won't be made again. (see top image)

Apollo Statement earrings £250 by Elin Horgan
Photography by Han Goes Click Studios

What's next for your business?

I'm currently working on a capsule collection of rings made from recycled silver which I hope to release this Autumn.

Visit the Elin Horgan online shop

#supportindependent

I am R bring a '90s twist to African print accessories

Creating sassy colourful handmade accessories in bold African printed fabrics, I am R are making waves in the independent fashion community!

I can't deny that I may be on more than acquaintance terms with I am R designer, Rachael Liddle but there's nothing better than bigging up an independent brand when it belongs to one of your besties, especially when they are creating a product that's inspired by big, bold colourful prints - all No Debutante faves!

I caught up with my girl, Rachael with a Q&A about her accessories brand whilst decorating myself up in I am R‘s colourful, printed delights! 

Circle studs (love this colour combo) £10 by I am R

An Interview with I am R

What is included in the I am R range? 

I use African fabrics to create handmade accessories. I'm inspired by colour, bold graphic print and 90’s street culture. It started with earrings, and then moved to scarves, headbands, turbans and scrunchies.

I have a big basket full a fabric scraps and wanted to make sure I am using everything, so it just evolved from wanting to have a more extensive product range and having as little waste as possible. I’m trying to be sustainable and also only use fully compostable mailing bags too. 

Where are you based?

I have a small set up based in Enfield in North London.

Big & bold studs by I am R £10

Where do you get your fabrics?

I get most of my fabrics from a local market stall/shop that specialises in African print fabrics. I also have a friend from Ghana who also brings me a fabric haul back whenever she goes home!

What inspired you to start I am R?

I come from a graphic design background and have always loved being creative but had let it all slide for years, to be a grown up, with a day job and kids. 

I bought a pair of earrings one day and thought…I can make these. That’s where it all started really.

I have always loved African fabrics for their colours and geometry and I love prints.  I already had some African Kente fabric at home, so I just made a pair of earrings.  

I really enjoyed the process from concept to product. It started as a much-needed hobby and started to slowly turn into something that people liked and wanted to buy.

Polko dot monochrome hoops £12

When did you launch I am R?

Ha! I have had a year of soft launching! I started selling at a small local festival and did well.  That’s when I began to have confidence in what I was doing.  That was in July 2019.  I only have an Instagram page at the moment and I’m currently setting up a website.

Where can we buy I am R?

You can buy on instagram.  If anyone see’s anything they like they can DM me! I also do market stalls now and then in London.

Bright geometric hoops £12

How much are the I am R accessories?  

My products range in price from £4 for a scrunchie to earrings starting at £6. The turbans are £12 and headbands start at £15, the fleece lined scarves are £30. 

What is next for I am R?

I am currently working on some new earring designs and new products to add to my range.

African print earrings by I am R £10

How has lockdown affected your business?

Lockdown has affected me both negative and positive.  I have found it almost essential, that once the kids are sorted with school work, snacks and lunch, that I go into my workshop and start creating!

I have managed to make loads more than I normally would and I don’t feel guilty for having that time.  I love it, Missy Elliot ‘she’s a bitch’ full blast, that’s my - let’s get this done - jam at the moment. Ha!

Negatively, it’s harder to get some elements that I need in order to make things.  Suppliers are closed, supplying NHS with PPE as a priority (quite rightly so) or just long delays for orders.  This is something that is out of my control, so it’s fine.

What makes I am R unique?

All items are unique one of a kind, hand signed with a logo.  I don’t use many repeated patterns and colours, so once my two yards is used up, I will order a different fabric. 

The print turnover is quite frequent, so if you like it...get it!

Bold and bright I am R scarves £30 each

Super cute stud earrings £8

Thanks to Rachael for the I am R chats! Just as we were about to publish this post another bag of I am R goodies* arrived at the No Debutante headquarters!

This time full of headwear delights from scrunchies, headbands and turbans all handmade in those beautiful African fabrics. Lock in for photo shoot number two featuring lil' Sylvie (my hair certainly is not long enough for scrunchies!). 

Scrunchy love £4 and £4.50 for the scrunchie tie

Clashing up the I am R knotted headbands £15 each

I am R headwear is great for kids too! 

I am R Turbans (perfect for bad hair days & lockdown chic) £12 each. 

More is more in I am R scrunchies and headband!

Thank you I am R xxx

*All items were gifted by I am R. 

SHAKE YOUR THANG

Check out the latest collection of big, bright and beautiful earrings and rings from Bristol's own (and No Debutante fave) Tezla Designs. Mixing street style sass with a 90s colour pop Tezla create the most fantastic earrings ever, I have so many pairs of these beauts and after spreading the Tezla love among my friends too, they now have that Tezla bug. It's catching!

The latest collection features new geometric shapes including hexagons and triangles decorated with that 80s/90s vibe, Memphis inspired pattern work that has become Tezla's signature style. There are lovingly hand painted, bigger and bolder earrings with matching geometric rings now joining the collection. Tezla has also been experimenting with 3D designs creating colour, print and texture on one earring! What more could you want??  No Debutante is in love with this collection and I already own two items with many more on my wishlist! Wear your Tezla with street style sass and expect compliments from everyone. Nice one Tezla xxx

All jewellery by Tezla Designs

All Photographs sourced from Tezla Designs.

Also available from That Thing,  45-47 Stokes Croft, Bristol, BS1 3QP

If you are having a fashion event or have a new collection you would like 

No Debutante to promote please get in touch!

Check out my work with Bristol 24/7 magazine under my name Emma Gorton-Ellicott

If you are interested in collaborating with No Debutante or getting featured on the No Debutante blog please contact me on nodebutanteblog.gmail.com

Keep up with No Debutante OOTD posts, collabs and current fashion obsessions posted daily on all of the following. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr,  Pinterest. all under the #nodebutante name.

Thanks for checking in Fashionistas xx

Tezla Designs

I discovered Tezla Designs through one of my Bristol Fashion buddies who was a stylish wearer of these amazing 80s printed earrings that I needed to own! I instantly followed Tezla on instagram and soon purchased my first pair of Tezla earrings! I just loved the hand painted 80s and 90s inspired prints on these bold, street style inspired jewellery pieces, which I now know where influenced by the Italian postmodernist designer and artist Sotsass, who is a very big influence on many contemporary designers at the moment with his bold, repetitive graphic patterns. Check out the interview at the end of the blog for more Tezla influences, the inspirations all fit together from streetstyle, bold graphics and a love of the 80s and 90s music, art and fashion, these flow through the Tezla design, style and range names perfectly, Tezla know exactly what they are doing!


Tezla Designs was started up by the Bristol based creative designer Terri Young back in 2013, the jewellery range is handmade at the Tezla headquarters at The Island in Bristol. Inspired by street culture and home roots the Tezla brand oozes Bristol street chic flavour, with it's 90s styling and hand painted graphics appearing on large discs, heart shapes and palm tree earrings, rings and necklaces in mainly wood and brass materials, with the bold bright styles making Tezla stand out from the crowd. The ranges have great names too including Fresh Princess, Tropicana, Supa Dupa Fly and Velvet Grunge, who wouldn’t fall in love with Tezla? Even the product write ups are really fun and inspiring with fashion tips on how to wear your Tezla. However you wear your Tezla you can guarantee you will look fresh from day to night dressed up in bodycon or down in your trainers. Tezla works with everything as long as street style is your thing, which lucky enough for me, it is!



No Debutante Loves Tezla! Bristol Fashion Rocks!

No Debutante in her Tezla

 Neat Frontage Lookbook featuring Tezla Designs

 Neat Frontage and Tezla wearing their Tezla Watermelon earrings the only way they should be worn with a massive fruit headdress!

Tezla influences including Sotsass, Boom Things / Boom Nails, Missy Elliott, Neat frontage, That Thing and Yayoi Kusama

Tezla Round The Way Girls

 An Interview with Tezla

 

 What inspired you start Tezla?

I have always been interested in fashion especially streetwear & love 80s / 90s patterns. The start of Tezla was whilst being Manager of Dutty (now known as That Thing) where I had the chance to see behind the scenes of the independent creative world  Bristol had to offer. Being surrounded daily by local talent and the inspiring Joh Rindom & Louisa Jones (Owners of That Thing) it give me the push and support to start Tezla.
 What is your design background?

I haven't attended any art courses, it's only in my adult life I've taken a massive interest in it.

 Where did the Tezla name come from?

 My name is Terri so I have a lot of nicknames such as Tez, Tezza,Tezri etc after weeks of trying to come up with a brand name I ended up going for one of my nicknames for a personal touch.

 Whats your favourite thing about Bristol?

My favourite thing about Bristol is the variety it has. Everywhere you go you'll hear different accents/languages, see different fashion styles, eat at multicultural restaurants/stalls, the eclectic music art and festival scene and thriving creative independent scene from handmade soaps to lyrca jumpsuits. Bristol has it all and that's why it's unique it is a small city full of subcultures and something is always happening.

 Do you think Bristol needs to get more fashion media attention?

I agree there could be more media exposure, alot of magazine advertising is quite expensive for a small business and there are limited Bristol mags etc and with a creative hub like Bristol with so many designers spaces are competitive.

 Do you find bloggers a helpful source or a drain who just want to try and blag freebies for nothing?
 I think blogs are a great way to find out about new designers and they help support independent brands. I have found when a blog gets to a certain level they expect freebies without the the guarantee of any write up which I think is unfair.

Favourite designers / artists?

 Neat Frontage, That Thing, Boom Things/Boom Nails, Sottsass, and Yayoi Kusama.

 Current favourite record?

 I am a massive Missy Elliott fan so still loving WTF.
 
Current obsession?

I am obsessed with dogs. Currently looking to buy a flat/house so really excited about extending the Tezla fam with a fluffer!

Whats next for Tezla?

Things to expect from Tezla for 2016 are; new collection dropping end of Feb, collabs with some awesome Bristol designers and magazine in the pipeline, and we will be expanding the range from just jewellery so keep checking our website! www.tezladesigns.com

You can find Tezla Designs in stockists in Bristol, London and Barcelona, and trading at Bristol markets. For more details follow Tezla Designs on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

 All photos except for the No Debutante image courtesy of Tezla Designs and all the lovely Tezla Round The Way Girls.


If you are interested in collaborating with No Debutante or getting featured on the No Debutante blog please contact me / send me a message on any of the following social networking platforms all under the No Debutante name #nodebutante

Keep up with No Debutantes OOTD posts, collabs and current fashion obsessions posted daily on all of the following. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Google +, Pinterest.

Thanks for checking in Fashionistas xx

ND xx