The Makerhood Festive Showcase at Diverse kicks off, appropriately enough, on Small Business Saturday, 2 December, and runs until 6 January.
As usual, there’s a splendid and varied range of local makers taking part, so why not shop local this Christmas, knowing that you are encouraging local creativity and supporting local business?
Accessories
Machine knitter and felt maker Prilly Lewis designs and makes beautiful clothing, home ware and accessories.
Using British lambswool, all items are originally created from her central London studio.
Whilst maintaining an individualistic quirkiness, she is able to remain true to her own style yet flexible enough to respond to the particular needs of individual commissions or outlet requirements.
The Ray was founded by sisters Issy and Abi. They make modern luxe homeware and accessories, printed and sewn by hand in our south London studio.
Their practice is constantly evolving, but they love creating research-led print designs that tell a story and that look beautiful.
Kim Winter of Flextiles specialises in upcycling. She buys garments and accessories in charity shops and overdyes them with indigo, using a technique called shibori (like sophisticated tie dye).
This means that all her products are one-offs. This makes it more interesting for her, customers know they are getting something unique, and the charity shops and environment benefit too – so everyone wins!
The hand printed metallic card holders by Anna Jackson of Black Cactus London are made from recycled leather and perfect for carrying your credit cards and travel cards.
The texture and colour combination in each piece is a one-off. And it is different colours on each side, as pictured.
Each piece comes with a little card of uniqueness and makes a thoughtful gift for those who enjoy ethical fashion.
Jewellery
Uche Akiti of Mya and Joe is a small independent handmade jewellery, craft and gift supplier. She is passionate about individuality and joyful expression of self. Her love of experimenting with shapes, colours and textures leads to the creation of her pieces.
Shirley Nelson of artigianajewellery makes limited edition handmade pieces, often one off, in sterling silver, gold, acrylic, resin, precious and semi-precious stones.
As she works full time, jewellery is her passion project and a form of meditation – a time allowed to focus on something that gives her so much enjoyment and where from the depths of her imagination the idea for a ring, necklace etc can spring.
From a very young age, Miri Shalom of Tiana Jewel was mesmerised by craft and design. Today, crystals have become her intimate passion, and Tiana Jewel was named after her beautiful daughter.
Miri always seeks out the best sources for her crystal collections, each piece being hand picked for its raw beauty and unique healing properties.
Annie Crimp‘s jewellery range is made from old damaged vintage china. She just loves the thought that small broken pieces can be put together again to make a beautiful whole to be treasured anew.
Each one of her pieces is original, unique and one of a kind.
At age 5, Carol Cole of Darcy & Jazz used to secretly go into her mother’s jewellery box and play dress up. Pearls, gold and silver bangles, dressing rings, gate bracelet, gold creole earrings is where her lingering obsession started.
She finds inspiration visits from all around but mostly from her cultural ancestral legacy, and what it means to be Black in this world; nature, music, art, fabrics, and individuals also inspire her.
Art
A.R.T Designs by Amy Rose Tucker is an innovative jewellery and giftware brand offering a wide range of irresistible design led and personalised products using vintage, recycled, up-cycled and sustainable materials.
All the products are handmade with love, bringing individuality, charm and character into their customers’ worlds.
Gabriela Szulman creates prints and collages, jewellery, scarves and greeting cards with images inspired by memory, nostalgia and a love of everything vintage.
Her work is often humorous and whimsical – unless her romantic side takes over and then we enter into a fairy-tale territory of old-fashioned script, pages of books and music scores populated by chivalrous gentlemen, glamorous ladies, butterflies and rabbits.
Kaylene Alder‘s limited edition screen prints were developed to support the work of Peace Direct, an international charity dedicated to stopping wars, one person at a time. 10% of sales from this work will go directly to Peace Direct in order help them support local organisations in areas where there is conflict, to combat the root causes and offer people another way.
All of the plants in the prints have healing properties and the pots have adapted peace symbols on them to subliminally make you think about peace in a sneaky way!
Kes Young of Heart in Art is a mosaic and face painting artist.
As well as running popular workshops she also makes beautiful handmade mosaic door number plaques, mirrors and homeware that are one of a kind created from the heart.
Akeisha Walters is a multimedia artist whose Brixton prints also adorn T-shirts and greetings cards.
Cecilia Washburn is a lover of wildlife and all things colourful and unexpected. She spends her time intricately studying wildlife to create colourful, bold yet painterly and intricate illustrations and repeat patterns.
Her products are all made on recycled paper and are designed with high attention to detail and so that the illustrations will be treasured, perhaps framed and have longevity to them – her cards are more than just a card.
Homeware
Catherine Rose‘s festive pom poms and ceramic tile coasters are sure to brighten up your home this Christmas.
Sue Smith comes from a design background, working in fine art, advertising, films, TV, prop making, shop windows and interior decoration.
She takes her own designs digitally printed and turns them into cushions, lampshades, blinds and curtains.
Sue also facilitates art workshops for children and adults.
Childrenswear
Snezana Nikolic of Y Kairos tailors beautiful clothes for children. The clothes are lined and use high quality fabrics that mean your child will have a look of distinct class. She also makes baby accessories.
Durability and quality are her priorities because she wants each garment to be passed from generation to generation – to be sustainable.
The handmade crocheted hats made by Boyz Can Wear Pink Too challenge the stereotypical view that pink is only a feminine or girly colour, and give a chance to everyone to wear this colour and feel comfortable.
By making and selling predominantly pink hats, they want to spread a message that the various shades of pink are great colours, and that colour has no gender! Pink can be stylish, pink can be smart, pink can be funky, for girls AND boys!
Diverse is at 390 Coldharbour Lane, Brixton SW9 8LF.