INTERVIEW: Kitty Moss on art, inspiration and not being too hard on yourself

Kitty Moss very much proves the old adage that you shouldn't meet your heroes can sometimes be utterly incorrect.

An Irish illustrator and designer extraordinaire, owner of one famous pooch (veritable star of Kodaline's music videos for “All I Want I” and “II”, which were directed by her husband) and all-around great human being, she is one of those effortlessly cool people that are made more charming by how genuine and self-effacing they are. Humble is a good word for Kitty though her background is anything but. She has studied and worked in both fashion and art, attended NCAD (Ireland's leading university of art and design), worked with John Rocha, has had her own (spooky and wonderful) clothing line and has worked on illustration projects for Dublin's most important retailers and publications.

I first became aware of her work through an exhibition in Irish luxury retailer Brown Thomas called“Art and Style”, which brought the designer garments on sale together with artwork by Irish artists. Her self-described as “spookily sweet” drawings, though modest in scale and less flashy than some of the other work on display, immediately caught my attention. I was dying to know more about her and we first met a year ago when I requested an interview for my blog. When we eventually coordinated our schedules, I ended up chatting to her while sitting on her couch, sipping prosecco and eating homemade cake. We clicked immediately and chatting to her this time around was more of a catch-up than a formal interview.

Since then, Kitty has undergone some major life changes; she got married and moved to L.A. with her now husband, Stevie, and dog, Digby. “We moved here last May and it's been great. We love it. We miss everyone but it's pretty sweet to just live in each others pockets and be creative every day. We have the little fellow too so it's all very idyllic at times, but spooky as hell other times. I've concentrated on just illustrating since we've been here and I'm half way through a kids book. That's going really well and I have also had the pleasure of working on oodles of wedding invitations, which has kept me busy, but really I would prefer to just work on personal projects like the book.”

News of a Kitty Moss book had me fan-girling and I wondered if she could share any details about it. She laughed at my cautious inquiry. “Nothing's hush-hush!...It sounds silly but it's called The Oinking Horse and it's about a little horse that doesn't fit in and needs to find his place in the world. I'm mulling over a new one too, about a girl with a ghost in her heart...I want to do something spooky next - I miss the spook - but feel the need to do something slightly more commercial first. The plan is to get it published this year, so I've to do a few more pictures then I'll send it out [to publishers].”

Discussion of the necessities of being more commercial sometimes, lead us onto the topic of when your passion becomes your job and how it changes your relationship with the craft, which Kitty acknowledges is inevitable but is “a good thing in a way as, apart from the obvious joys of being paid, it makes you realise more and more what you want to do in life” and doing it all day, every day “will make you even more brilliant”. In fact, she's very good at being wise and giving great, soothing advice for young creatives. She notes that it all “takes time” and not to worry about age or having it figured out – something I needed to hear!

Of course, you can't be a creative without talking influences and inspiration. Her favourite artists include Hughie O'Donoghue - especially his bog images - Van Gogh, Bacon and Harry Clarke and she is, of course, also partial to Rocha, particularly his accessories and hats, show pieces, the styling of the shows and his textiles which she says, "send me swooning". A more obscure influence that she notes, however, are Japanese-inspired willow plates that were in her family home growing up. “When I was younger, I used to get lost in them. I loved the little bridges and the hats. I think they may be the first thing that inspired me.” When I note that her work seems to mesh well with a traditional Japanese art aesthetic, Kitty replies that others have said the same thing but that she doesn't see it herself. We agree that influence and perception are magic things that are formed over a lifetime of experiences and memories, making us who we are and every outlook so unique and different. It is, indeed, a beautiful thing. Kitty's words are more poetic than mine. “I love how everything weaves its way in without you noticing. Like a dream. I still feel those willow plates working their magic.”

An example of Kitty's pretty, witty and spooky work

Some of Kitty's design work

Digby himself

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ISLE - Jewellery Inspired By Ireland and Formed By Japanese Aesthetics

On my first Galway Fashion Trail last November, I saw, and fell in love with, the delicate jewellery of ISLE. The brainchild of two Northern Irish sisters - Ger, who lives in Tokyo, and Helen, who lives in Belfast - it is a brand inspired by the tales and natural beauty of Ireland and informed by the minimalist aesthetic and emphasis on craftsmanship of Japan. Each piece is handmade in Ireland and then beautifully presented in high quality packaging from Japan.

I wanted to know more about these two sisters and the magic jewellery that they produced; their thoughts on design and Irish design, in particular; their inspirations; and why it's important to support smaller makers.

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Moi: How did ISLE come about? Can you tell us a little about its journey as a brand?

Ger: Starting some form of jewellery business was something that I'd thought about a lot over the years, ever since I started making jewellery for high school art projects. Although I loved painting, drawing and photography, I was especially drawn to metals and the mixed media possibilities of jewellery. So, I studied Metalsmithing & Jewellery at the University of Ulster in Belfast, but after, decided to become an Art teacher in England. After a few years there, my partner/boyfriend and I wanted to experience living further abroad and decided to have a go at living in Tokyo and here we still are.

ISLE has evolved a lot since the original idea that came about from a discussion with a Japanese friend who worked in the jewellery business in Tokyo. We planned to create jewellery that would tell stories of Ireland, introducing Irish culture to people that probably hadn't heard much about it.

Unfortunately, my Japanese friend wasn't able to continue with the initial progress we had made. So, instead of giving up, I turned to my sister Helen, who has long been a part of my design process - even coming in on the night before my final degree show to sit on the floor sanding and painting the display furniture for my installation. We work well together and are constantly sending images back and forth and bouncing ideas around.

Her main medium is textile but she has quickly learnt a lot about Metalsmithing and works closely with our talented Belfast-based makers.

My whole family is involved in ISLE in some form now and have been an amazing help.



Why are you so inspired by Ireland?

I guess living so far from home in an incredibly different culture, makes you think about where you come from and you look at things you took for granted with fresh eyes. I regularly go back home to Co. Down and yet it hits me every time I arrive; the landscape, the people, the atmosphere.



Who do you admire? What things inspire you?

Everything. I have about a thousand design ideas passing through my head a day. I have to tell myself to be quiet and focus on one thing (or else Helen will tell me Neutral Face). Sometimes you see a building that could be translated into a necklace or an accidental collection of colours that would make a beautiful print pattern. I have a crazy amount of photos that I've captured hoping that I'll go back to them someday and create something original from them

I admire the people that, in an age of mass production and fantastic digital machinery, are opting for a slow, focused and considered way creating. The joy of craftsmanship is not totally lost and I believe appreciation for it is growing again in Ireland.



Who is your customer?

We are our customers really. We want to offer contemporary jewellery that presents something deeper than passing fashion. Jewellery that is both stylish and has lasting quality, that reflects modern trends but that can be a future heirloom.



Why should people support smaller makers?

Supporting smaller makers allows for diversity, for uniqueness



If you could do anything you wanted - no limitations - what would ISLE do?

We don't have huge crazy ambitions for ISLE, we just want to keep on designing and making and hope that we can share what we do with people who feel the same as us. Sorry that's a boring answer, isn't it? But it's true.



What are you most proud of?

Surviving this far.

(All images belong to ISLE and are reproduced here with permission.)

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Considered by Helen James

After writing about the revitalisation of Dunnes Stores in recent years, I got asked to come in and meet one of their designers, Helen James...which I promptly (and over-enthusiastically) said yes to. Luckily for me, this coordinated with the recent opening (just last Friday) of the new café attached to, and showcasing, her collection of homeware and food and we sat down with some great tea for a chat in the wonderful space on Drury Street.

Upon entry, I squeed in delight for a while as I took in the décor which echoes the core values of the collection as Helen describes it, "traditional but really modern - clean lines, simplicity" imbued with "the idea of nostalgia but seen through a modern lens". It's wonderfully cosy and masterfully combines a workable café space with room for the artful arrangement of the products that started the whole venture in October. The walls are stripped back of their plaster, revealing the red brick underneath and the fireplace they discovered while renovating. The tables are made of heavy solid woods and the colour scheme is beautifully calming and harmonious. Scented candles burn on the display tables next to fresh fruit scones. Copper pans glint on the shelf and mugs with cheeky messages sit next to them. It's a wonderful celebration of traditional Irish design in homes without being twee, while remaining cool and contemporary. "I lived in New York for twelve years and there's nothing like being away from home to make you look at things differently and appreciate things. I always think that's why John Rocha was such an interesting Irish designer because he came here from Hong Kong and he could really see Irish craft and appreciate it in a way that maybe someone closer to it couldn't."

Helen also notes how important it was to make the range very Irish and to work towards our strengths "There are a lot of Irish elements in the range. Like, all of the food was made in Ireland. And we're working with amazing producers. I mean, the food scene here is so good, it's just insane." We agreed, in fact, that Dublin and Ireland, in general seem entirely revitalised with exciting food and design scenes emerging. But the consumer has been made wary by the tougher times of the past few years and expects more for their money. "Independents are moving in and bringing a different perspective. And I think retailers have to work harder for your dollar now and it's made things much more interesting." In the case of Dunnes "it's like, how do they move forward? How do they stay relevant in a swamped market?" Their take on designer collaborations seems very much the answer. Especially as "all of the brands fit together but they're all very different, they have different personalities."

Value was just as important to Helen as good design and quality "for me, working with Dunnes meant creating something of really good quality but offered at a price point that was really accessible. That was really important to me, I'm very much of the Eames' philosophy of design for the masses...I love the idea that even producing something in a large retailer, you can do something really interesting. Y'know, this range was a new concept, it was the first time that Dunnes brought food and textiles together...Which was really exciting."

The full realisation of bringing food and design together can be seen in the café and Helen's hand is in everything, down to the design of the display shelves and the menu. The attention to detail, the care, is apparent. With Gruel alum in the kitchen and wonderfully friendly (at the exact right level - not too much or too little) staff front of house as well as Helen's continued presence, it gives a boutique touch to something mass-produced. Though, the food in the Drury Street location is anything but mass-produced. Cookies had just come out of the oven as I walked through the door and coffees are served with truly artful designs on top via their talented barista. And, actually only 15 out of 150 stores nationwide will carry the range for now so as to "keep it in stores where people are going to get it for now" and to protect the brand.

Perhaps what most endears both the range and cafe to any and all who see them is the sense of sincerity. It seems very natural and beautifully put together but homely. Helen was given the freedom to do as she wished with the brand and, as a result, it truly represents her as a designer. In fact, "when [she] showed pictures of this place to [her] kids, two of them said 'Oh, it looks just like our house!'" And Helen laughs, "when I brought samples home for a photoshoot with Image Interiors, everything just fit perfectly into my house and I was like, 'Oh, I jut want to keep all of them, I love them so much. I just want them to be here all the time.' So, yeah, it is very much my aesthetic. That was the thing, too I was given complete creative freedom to do what I wanted."

Helen remains excited by the unlimited potential of this new venture of Dunnes' as it gives her the space to try things she never could before. "I had my own label here for eight years and it was so difficult to be competitive because costs are so high. And that's why it's nice to have an economy of scale behind me where I could do something and I knew it was immediately going to go into fifteen stores...that was really exciting for me as a designer because it opened up a whole set of other possibilities."

As to what next? The brand will continue to try new things and move forward; "it won't be a wiping of the slate, it'll evolve. So, it won't be 'this season it's blue chintz', it'll be much more organic than that. For example, in Spring, we have a whole range of tableware that's going to be the same as the ceramic storage jars we have now...more shapes, a few more colours...We're doing some gardening stuff. We're bringing in more textiles, a little bit more pattern - not a huge amount." In addition, they'll have a range of teas, apple juices and lemonades, herb rubs and new flavours in the existing range of chutneys, sweets and preserves.

So, drop into Drury Street for an absolute treat if you get a chance and keep an eye online and in stores for the future (surely) successful expansion and progress of the brand. Oh, and I highly recommend the apple and mint tea...it's amazing.