Homegirl London pays homage to Cecily Vessey. She makes homewares; ceramics, coasters and tea towels plus stationery; cards, sticky tape and also art prints. These are all decorated with her wonderful drawings of wonky buildings and skylines.
Cecily just loves cities, especially London where she is based and she’s captured iconic landmarks in here unique style; the Gherkin, Battersea Power Station, St Pauls Cathedral and the Tate Modern. Cecily graduated in 2009 and started selling cards at markets and on Etsy but it wasn’t until October 2011 that she took the plunge and went full time with the business. I caught up with Cecily to find out more …
Q: Tell me about your design background.
A: At university, I did a BA in Jewellery at the John Cass in Whitechapel, but my work was so flat and 2 dimensional, I was never happy with what I made. The part I enjoyed was the drawing and the business side of things so when I graduated I started making products and selling cards at markets. At the same time, I gained an internship and then a job with the designer Lisa Stickley. It was the perfect opportunity to see how a business worked, how to do things and how not to do them, all the while having the time and no financial pressure to work on and naturally grow my own business. When an opportunity came to leave my job at Lisa’s 18 months ago I took the leap to go full time with ‘Cecily Vessey.’ It was terrifying, but I’m so glad I did!
London Buildings Pack of 6 Cards, £10
Q: Why set up your business?
A: I’ve never wanted to be confined to one role in a job. I love all the different aspects of running a business; I enjoy planning, juggling tasks and when a new box of samples arrives it’s like Christmas. Every day really is different and it’s okay for me to take an afternoon off mid-week because I can make up that time by working at the weekend or later in the evening. Of course, it’s hard work and yes doing the accounts part is boring but when you add up the numbers and realise ‘you did all that’ there’s a sense of satisfaction that I don’t think I could ever feel if I worked for someone else.
Big Ben Jugs, £14-28
Q: Where are you based and why?
A: I have a studio/office/cardboard box towers in Kennington, London. It’s the area that I have lived for 8 years and love. As all my design work is based on buildings and cities so being in the middle of a metropolis is important to me. Kennington is Central London without being too busy and there is a great community spirit. Plus I can hear Big Ben chime as well as wander to the river in my lunch breaks (when I’m able to take them!).
Big Ben Tea Towel, £10
Q: How many people work at your company?
A: It’s just me. I’m the designer, production, post lady, sales, customer service, press officer, etc. all rolled into one. Now things have got much busier I’ve learnt to ask for help so sometimes I have an intern for a few weeks or my mum or partner will help with the packing!
London Eye Mug, £10
Q: Describe your design style.
A: When I was a kid and started drawing I wanted to be able to draw like Da Vinci. I quickly realised that was never going to happen, mainly because everything I draw turns out wonky. Then a teacher of mine showed me Van Gogh’s ink sketches and Ben Nicholson’s early drawings and it clicked that drawings don’t have to look like a photograph. In fact, I think that it’s better that they don’t. What my ‘style’ has evolved in to is a linear, crisp, but wonky output. I also love vibrant colour and that is being gradually introduced through the styling of my product shots and stationery.
Battersea Power Station Print, £38
Q: Where do you draw your creative inspiration from?
A: My creative inspirations come from the cities of the world. I try to visit a new one each year. This September I’m going to Rome for the first time, I’m so excited! Each city has its own unique architecture, light, smell and sound. It has to be said though that in Rome I’m most looking forward to eating pizza, ice cream and drinking coffee for pretty much every meal!
Q: What’s your fascination with cities?
A: I ended up in London from starting life on a farm then spending time in the Peak District, I was a country girl through and through. Then as a teenager, I had my first taste of city life in Oxford. Seeing a city as unique as Oxford at a time when I was developing who I was and what I wanted to create had a big influence on my love of architecture and how cities exist and evolve. Coming to London for university cemented this fact and opened my eyes to some of the world’s most interesting buildings. Over the last 8 years I have seen London quickly change, every year there seems to be a new building on the skyline and I love that. It’s very difficult for me to pick a favourite city as I feel very loyal to London although I do have soft spots for Paris, Barcelona and New York. I look forward to visiting more and more cities over my lifetime. I have a wish list that I’m slowly getting through!
International Landmark Coaster Set, £12.50
Q: Tell me about your collections.
A: At the moment my London Skyline collection is the most popular. The city is represented on Mugs, Jugs, Egg Cups, Tea Towels, Sticky tape and Cards. I’m gradually bringing in other cities like New York and Paris. There have been a lot of requests for Sydney to be represented so maybe that will be next.
Skyline Mugs, £12
Q: Tell me about your bespoke service.
A: I do a few different types of bespoke work. I make wedding invitations, orders of services as well as drawing particularly beautiful houses and churches. I also create collections for landmarks/tourist destinations. Recently I made a collection for the Houses of Parliament which included bags, coasters, cards, mugs and tape.
Q: Which designer do you admire and why?
A: My top 5 would have to be, in no particular order: Bernd and Hila Becher, Ben Nicholson (early drawings), Eadweard Muybridge (San Francisco Photographs), John Singer Sargent (Venice paintings) and Ansel Adams (Yosemite photographs). It’s odd that my favourite creative works tend to be paintings or photographs. Drawing is my first love and decorating objects came second as a way of duplicating my drawings without going down the route of solely selling cards, prints and originals.
Q: What’s the best thing about owning your own business?
A: Being able to pack up orders while watching a film, usually in my pyjamas and calling it work! Joking aside, in the short time I’ve been in business I have met and worked with so many British based suppliers, stockists and designers. Running my own business enables me to support and be part of the British economy. I hope that in the future it will also enable me to help and support young designer/makers to be in the same fortunate position that I’m in today.
Q: What one piece of advice would you pass on to someone wanting to set up their own business?
A: Running a business takes a lot of hard graft. It most definitely isn’t the easy option. Sacrifices need to be made and at the start, you will have moments of tiredness and downheartedness, but get through these times and you get to enjoy all the good parts. Like seeing your work in shops you hadn’t dared hope to stock, waking up to an e-mail box full of international orders that have been placed overnight and meeting lots of like-minded and lovely creative people along the way.
Q: What’s coming up for the rest of 2013?
A: I’m making Christmas products and planning some new things for 2014. Product-wise I’m hoping to have some London Skyline glass tumblers ready for Christmas (mainly because I’ve got a new addiction to decorated glass!). To buy Cecily’s products you can go to www.cecilyvessey.com. Credits: text by Homegirl London, images courtesy of Cecily Vessey, photographer Yeshen Venema www.yeshenvenema.com. Special thanks to Cecily.
