Homegirl London pays homage to Gylsen Design. Jayc Gylsen is the designer-maker creating retro inspired, bold and graphic funky cushions and lamp shades. The striking patterns are applied using silk screening which is hand printed onto the finest silk dupion. All Gylsen Design products are handmade in the UK with an emphasis on being sustainable and eco-friendly. I caught up with Jayc to find out more.
Meet the Gylsen Design Designer
Jayc originally studied fashion design and pattern cutting at the London College of Fashion. After leaving Jayc worked as a pattern cutter for high street names – Topshop, BHS, River Island and H&M. He then decided to pursue his passion for pattern so studied Surface Pattern Design at the London College of Communication, The University of Arts.
Gylsen Design – Jayc Gylsen
Jayc launched his business in September 2011 to focus on creating contemporary textiles influenced and inspired by the 20th century. The decision to set up Gylsen Design was two-fold – “Being a ghost in a large design house, you see all your hard work in the shops or on the runway but you don’t get any of the recognition. I also wanted to produce hand printed textiles that are not mass produced in another country.” Being his own boss is important to Jayc – “I like the fact that I can be creative and share my passions with other people.”
Jayc now divides his time between screen printing in London near Tower Bridge and making his lamp shades in Norfolk. The operation is nice and small – an assistant to help out in the studio, the cushions are made in the East End of London and he has PR support.
View the Gylsen Design Collection
Glysen Design is very much retro inspired, bold, contemporary and graphic. Jayc draws his inspiration from mid to late 20th Century design and in particular the 60s and 70s. Jayc tell me – “I love the use of colour and the bold graphics from those eras. I have a real passion for the interiors and furniture that defines that period. I collect mid century furniture like G-plan and West German pottery by Cari Zalloni and Torben Orskove enamelware. Tretchikoff and Orla Kiely are also sources of inspiration.” Jayc greatly admires Florence Broadhurst – “She was very prolific in the 60s for creating hundreds of unique wallpapers which were very flamboyant in style – I love their bold colourful designs.”
Gylsen Design – Woodstock Lamp Shades
Gylsen Design products feature silk dupion which Jayc favours because – “I like using hand woven silk which has slubs and irregularities and it’s also biodegradable. I’m also a bit of an ‘eco buff’ when it comes to printing my textiles as I use water based inks to produce my work. Our production runs are small as we don’t want to mass produce and this gives us much more control over the printing.”
All the collections feature a bold use of pattern and colour. Woodstock, AliBaba, China Deco and Totem are all based on strong repeating retro inspired graphic patterns.
Gylsen Design – AliBaba Lamp Shades
Gylsen Design – China Deco Cushions
Gylsen Design – Totem Cushions
Shades of the Unexpected / Marie Antoinette: These designs show a quirky side to Jayc’s work – “They are still very graphic but look closer and you will see they are not quite what they seem. Shades of the Unexpected is inspired by the dancing lady at the start of the cult TV series Tales of the Unexpected. Marie Antoinette takes inspiration from classic silhouettes and shows ladies with big hair taking tea and gossiping!”
Gylsen Design – Tales of the Unexpected Lamp Shades
Gylsen Design – Marie Antoinette Lamp Shades
Buy the Gylsen Design Products
You can buy products from the Facebook Page. Price guide: Lamp Shades from £95.00. Cushions from £60.00. If you want to make your own furnishings, you can purchase printed fabric from Gylsen Design. They can also print the designs in an alternative colour and create specially commissioned designs.
If you’re interested in learning how to make your own lamp shade you can enrol on a lamp shade making workshop hosted by Jayc Gylsen. There’s also a Stencil printing course being planned. Go to the website for further information.
Author: Homegirl London. Photography: Gylsen Design. Thanks: Jayc Gylsen and Roy.
