Donna Wilson Book Launch + Happy Christmas!

It's nearly Christmas now and we have had such a busy holiday period! Today is our last day in the studio for 2013 but before we close the year of our tenth anniversary, we're proud to announce the release of the new Donna Wilson book:  Odd Objects & Textiles.

 This book is the first complete retrospective of Donna's work over the past decade. With each page, you get a glimpse into Donna's world and insight on her inspirations and design processes. Vibrant photographs document her collections, past and present.

 
 

Donna would like to add:
"Doing this book has made me look back on all the projects I have been involved in and the wonderful people I have worked with along the way. I would like to say a special thanks to all my customers, some have collected my work, and supported me from the very beginning. Thank you, without you I wouldn't be able to make the things I make!"

 And with that, Happy Christmas everyone, Happy New Year and we look forward to seeing you all in 2014!

 xx

Donna Wilson + Mamas & Papas Special Edition Buggy!

We are so proud to share with you news about some of Donna's recent projects! First of these is Donna's special edition baby buggy for Mamas & Papas!

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Mamas & Papas' Creative Director Olivia Robinson commented: “We are all such fans of Donna Wilson’s designs here at Mamas & Papas. Collaborating with Donna has brought a really fun and unique style to our Urbo² collection.”

The special edition Donna Wilson buggy and accessories are now available in select Mamas & Papas stores as well as online here, and Mamas & Papas have also done this lovely little video, which you can view here or by clicking below!

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Here's a snapshot of the beautiful spread in the Mamas & Papas Autumn/Winter Lifestyle Magazine, which you can request for free on the Mamas & Papas website!

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And here's what's happening TONIGHT!

Please join us on Wednesday 20th November at 7pm for a Twitter party with Donna, hosted by Mamas & Papas. This is your chance to chat with Donna and ask her anything!
Find out if becoming a mum has had any effect on her designs, what it was like to collaborate with Mamas & Papas, where her inspirations come from, and what her favourite parts about being a new mum are!

Mamas & Papas will also be doing a global giveaway! One lucky participant will win a special edition Donna Wilson urbo 2 stroller with bassinet AND the matching accessories. All you have to do is take part in the twitter chat between 7 and 8pm London time!

Donna's twitter: @DonnaWilsonLtd
And don't forget to tag #Urbo2ByDonnaWilson to ask questions and to qualify to win!

We hope to see you there!
xx

 

Christmas Gift Guide

Hi everyone!
Christmas is just around the corner and we’re happy to announce that our holiday gift guide is now online!  We invite you to browse our hand-picked selections for Mum, Dad, Best Friend, Crush, and everyone on your list!

We shot these photos a few weeks ago at Donna's new home and so were lucky to have Eli as a guest star!








Gifts for Dad:



Gifts for Mum:

Gifts for Your Best Friend:

Gifts for your Girl Crush:

Gifts for your Boy Crush:




Gifts for the Kids and Baby:

And finally, Trimming and Finishing Touches:


We're very proud to say that all of our products are made in the UK - we are doing our small bit to keep craftsmanship alive, support our economy, and help the environment!

Please remember to place your orders by Wednesday December 18th for delivery in time for Christmas. 

Happy Shopping! 
xx

Designing a new tartan for Aberdeenshire- stage one

Designing a tartan is something as a Scottish designer I'm very honored to have been asked to do, especially for my home county. so where do you start?....
(above two drawings of tartan by pupils at Old Meldrum Primary school)
A little bit of background:  I've have been commisioned by Aberdeenshire council as part of they're placemaking project which aims to change the way Aberdeenshire is seen by communities, visitors and businesses alike. Their programme, titled Be Part of the Picture, will showcase the region as a place of beauty, quality and innovation, using a range of creative engagement projects to explore all that Aberdeenshire, as a distinctive area in its own right, has to offer. 

(above: where I grew up)
 My job as a designer is to design a brand new tartan that is completely unique and best represents Aberdeenshire, and to do this I really wanted the local community to be part of it. So I have been visiting schools and setting them a brief so that they actually choose the colours which are specific to their own area, then I'll feed these into the design.  The school involved are from all around the county : Aboyne School (Marr),Dales Park School (Buchan),Kintore School (Meldrum),Lochpots School (Banff and Buchan),Meldrum Primary (Garioch) and Mill O’Forest Primary (Kincardine and Mearns) and were chosen as they had very little visiting people to them.

 The first part of the process is now underway, I did a little presentation to them about my own work and my journey from being at school myself to being a designer,then set them the brief. It was so refreshing working with kids, and everyone including the teachers were so enthusiastic.  it was great fun, and I love the random questions that they asked me.... like  have I ever made a panda hat? and what's the most original creature I had designed? It did make me think we are far too inhibited as adults and worry about what others think too much, children just say what the first thing that comes into their heads, it is great!.

I have no idea what they will come up with yet as I'm still awaiting some of the colours, but the idea is that 6 schools, will go out, the photos of their area, really focusing on what is unique to their area, and then create a mood board. From that they have to really look at the colours that appear in the photograph and recreate them with paints. I wanted to encourage them to look with fresh eyes at their own countryside and environments, and think about colour.  not their favorite colour, or colours they think things are, but what's really there.

I have always bee inspired by colour, and having grown up in Aberdeenshire, I think it had a very special light, I wanted the kids to realise that skies are not necessarily blue, they can be pink or lavender, and trees are not a green straight from the tube  they can be blues greys all mixed in together.

I will keep you posted on the next stage which will be gathering up all the colour, designing then having it made!
For more information about the placemaking project of Aberdeenshire go to http://bepartofthepicture.com/

November Giveaway + Sample Sale Dates

Happy November to all!

It’s officially the season to get cosy on the sofa with a blanket in London and in many parts of the world!

Of course that means it's also hat and scarf season and to help embrace the cold weather, we are giving away a Caterpillar Scarf in red and a Hofdi Scarf in blue/orange this month:

For your chance to win one of these lovely scarves, please leave a comment with three suggestions for new Donna Wilson products you’d like us to make. Don’t forget to tell us which scarf you’d like to win!

All of our blankets and wooly winter accessories are knitted in Scotland out of the softest lambswool.

In other news this month, we’re excited to announce the dates of our annual Studio Sample Sale!

Mark your calendars; this year our sample sale will take place on:
Friday, November 29th (10am - 6pm)
Saturday, November 30th (10am - 6pm)
Sunday, December 1st (11am - 4pm)

Please note that we have we have moved around the corner from our old studio. Our new address is 17 Pundersons Gardens, Unit 8a, London, E2 9QG. We are just a short walk from the Bethnal Green tube station.

Don't forget to sign up for our newsletter for more updates!
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New collection + October giveaway!

Autumn has arrived in London and we’d like to introduce you to our new autumn/winter collection, which launched at London Design Festival just a few weeks ago!

In case you haven’t had a look yet, here is a link to our newest catalogue, and below are some highlights!

We’re so very proud to present new designs and colourways in our furnishings collection, which means new cushions and blankets! We've added to our range of woolly accessories too, as handsomely modeled below by our Giant Creature!



Our new Log Cushion below is a perfect match for our Wooly Wood throws, and Bibi Bear and Shelly are just two of our new additions to our family of creatures!



And below are two very special new items, the Tortoise Floor Cushion and our Pie Chart Patchwork. Our very own Eli was kind enough to demonstrate what he thought one might do with each of these when placed in a home:

In our ceramics range we’ve developed a little collection inspired by the classic tale of the three bears! There’s Papa Bear, Mummy Bear, and Baby Bear! The collection also includes a Bear Plate and Tea Light Holder!

And without further ado: our October Giveaway!
This month we're giving away one each of our new Mini Tea Trays! To enter the giveaway, we'd love for you to share with us your three favourite things about Autumn. Please share your answers by leaving a comment and we'll pick the winners at random at the end of the month! Good luck!

Donna Wilson's 10 Year Anniversary Exhibition - Opening Night!

Last night was a very exciting occasion for team Donna Wilson as it was the opening of Donna's 10 Year Anniversary Exhibition!   Our opening kicked off a 5-day celebration during the London Design Festival which features a lot of fun things including: a retrospective exhibition showcasing Donna's creations across the decade, a silent auction for your chance to win limited edition collectibles from Donna's archive, a photo-booth with oversized knitted props, and a pop-up shop!

Over the course of the show there will also be a number of interactive activities including a talk by Donna TONIGHT at 5pm, and free craft workshops for adults and children this Saturday!
Our opening included a performance by singer-songwriter Gideon Conn, whose quirky and poetic tunes so perfectly suited the event! More information about Gideon can be found here!

Here are a few snapshots from the opening:


And a few of our photobooth images!


You can browse all of the photo booth images here!
Special thanks to Gareth Hacker, our photographer for the night, for these amazing photo booth shots!

Stop by the exhibition to place a bid on a limited edition collectible creature or for a talk or workshop!
Please call the studio on 020 77490768 to book a place at a workshop.

96-98 Leonard Street, London, EC2A 4RH
Open daily from Wednesday, Sept 18th – Sunday, Sept 22nd, (10am – 6pm Wed-Sat, 10am - 4pm on Sun).


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Make Your Own Donna Wilson Monster!
As part of our 10-year celebrations we are holding monster master classes on Saturday 21st September. All materials will be provided. Choose from a selection of Donna’s colourful knitted fabrics and with a little help from Heather, you will use hand stitching techniques to create your very own weird and wonderful woolly friend. No stitching experience needed, we will help you with that. All you need is imagination!
The workshops will be an hour long, but feel free to hang around and explore the show.
Date: Saturday 21st September
Where: 96-98 Leonard Street, London, EC2A 4RH
Timeslots: 11am, 1pm & 3pm
Workshop cost: FREE!
Age: From 8yrs upward (there's no upper limit!)


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Meet Donna Wilson - Talk and Q&A Have you ever wondered how Donna started out, where she gets her inspiration or what her favourite animal is? As part of her 10-year celebrations Donna will be giving a talk answering all these questions and more, and offering you the chance to ask her any burning questions of your own.
Date: Wednesday 18th September
Where: 96-98 Leonard Street, London, EC2A 4RH
Time: 5pm Cost: FREE!