Sometimes a wonderful job comes along that means much more than design. This is one of them. Deborah Tallentire approached me to create her a new brand and I jumped at the chance. Deborah - Debs to her friends - is a tailor and costumier with an impressive set of skills and a client-base to match. I knew I'd get as much out of this project as I put in - I've gained both an fascinating insight into her world and a new buddy.
Debs has always had a very clear idea of who she is – she coined her strapline while being interviewed for an apprenticeship at Angels the Costumiers. (Google them – they won an ‘outstanding contribution’ BAFTA this year). When Tim Angel asked why she wanted to work with them she said "because I want to put character into cloth". She carried this philosophy with her throughout her time there and it’s now at the core of her own business.
During the initial design brief, I felt quite strongly that we needed a visual representation of ‘putting character into cloth’ and, keeping in mind her client-base, it had to have movement, dynamism and a suggestion of ‘theatre’ in the broadest sense of the word. After much drafting, I came up with a needle and pin dancing together to create the letter 'D' – the idea being that she can use the icon as a stand-alone device and still keep her name firmly in peoples’ minds.
We’ve completed the first stage which is the website, digital presence and the embroidered labels - the latter of which I got a real kick out of. Next is stationery and work-wear and, with her eyes firmly fixed on the future, there are plans for more as Debs expands her business, including branching out into stage-ready.com, an exciting new venture that will see her and her team out of the studio and on location.
Take at look at her website - design and build by Gunpowder Studios:
(post by Tanya)