Homegirl London pays homage to Chloe Croft. Combining animals with a special technique of cutting hundreds of strips of parchment paper gives Chloe a distinct style. Her cushions are adorned with exotic parrots and flamingos plus pets such as budgies, cats and dogs. She’s also created a glorious selection of original artwork using her unique techniques which are also available in limited edition prints. Chloe makes brilliant window blinds which are personally designed, hand-cut and crafted to provide privacy, each cut-out filters light to project softly glowing images of patterns into the room and can be made in colours and sizes to suit your exact specifications. She’s a top pedigree herself – a masters fashion graduate from the world-renowned Royal College of Art and her clientele ranges from pop stars – Scissor Sisters to Opera singer Angela Georgiou. I asked Chloe some questions …
Q: Tell me more about your fascinating paper cutting technique – how did you arrive at this application and what inspired you?
A: I studied fashion designer at degree level and then as a masters at the Royal College of Art and I used to do my fashion illustrations using block colour which is where this technique came from. I also wanted to use florescent pinks and greens and a statement bold technique – I just feel more comfortable ‘painting’ with paper.
Q: Your work features animals, what took you in this direction?
A: I’ve always been crazy about animals and have always liked them far more than people! I’m a country girl born and bred and did have animals growing up and have always loved their blinding intelligence, loyalty and trust. I’ve always contributed a percentage of my sales to the WWF and I want to do a series of endangered animals to raise awareness.
Q: When you work on a commissioned piece of art for a family pet, how does this process work?
A: For more exotic commissions the client normally has an idea of what they are looking for. I meet them, suggest ideas and then we work together to find the perfect fit. I’ve done commissions ranging from kymono dragons to life-size horses to a seven-foot orchid! For family animals, it normally works that I will go and meet the animal and owner involved as it gives me a better understanding of the animal’s personality which is the main thing to get across. I normally take a series of photographs to get as much visual information as possible and then work with the client to find the right composition.
Q: What’s your favourite product from your range and why?
A: I do love the cushions for the fact that they are so luxurious! We use the finest silk backings and duck feather inner pads to give the weight of a ‘proper’ cushion.
Q: What new additions to the range are you planning for 2012?
A: We are just about to launch a very exciting range of lampshades based on the designs with a more abstract feel, also a range of stunning silk scarves relating back to my fashion roots! There’s also a range of new animals for prints and cushions including an exotic cockatoo, a great bulldog and a seriously sweet dachshund!
You can buy products from Chloe Croft. Credits: text by Homegirl London, images courtesy of Chloe Croft, special thanks to Chloe Croft.
