About — Genevieve Bennett

Profile

Genevieve is a visual designer based in London. Her work is rooted in the tradition of the decorative arts and yet has a bold contemporary aesthetic of intelligent and creative beauty. An instinctive command of pattern and a sublime judgement of line and proportion results in designs which are elegant, timeless and intriguing.

The enduring and confident quality of her craft, aligned with a luxurious palette of signature materials creates pieces which reward the owner with a lifetime of quiet pleasure. It is work that, with care, will take on a patina of time and use. Cherished possessions that become treasured heirlooms.

Background

After gaining a Masters in Printed and Embroidered Textiles at the Royal College of Art, Genevieve worked as a consultant for 8 years, designing extensive and unique collections of home accessories for brands such as Habitat and Wedgwood, with many designs becoming best sellers. In 2008 she established her own studio. Committed to the pursuit of exploring and cross pollenating intriguing pattern, luxury materials and innovative techniques to create exquisite, covetable and lasting pieces. In a charming Victorian industrial space she has created a place where a dizzying and diverse array of influences converge.

Bespoke Luxury

The ornate sculpted and embossed leather wallcoverings of 16^th Century Europe are a strong inspiration. The intricate beauty of the carved wood panels of master craftsman Grinling Gibbons is a trace element in her work. A hungry and curious intellect, she obsessively studies sculptural form and it’s response to light and shadow.

Drawing

Every project originates with a drawing. A pencil, later ink, on paper. Elementally simple, her line drawings are informed by, and express, a long love of Islamic tile, English Arts and Craft, Victorian lace and an almost infinite cull of influence.

Research and Inspiration

Designs are crafted, distilled and refined through repeat drawing. The contemporary and graphic patterns are then translated into a wide variety of techniques. Some lend themselves to low relief embossed or engraved forms for leather while some are rendered as flat stylised pattern to be printed, embroidered or tufted for domestic pieces such as rugs, furniture, bed linen and stationery.

Creative Innovation

She is, however, no slave to uncompromised tradition. Her work is equally infused with a charge of Modernism. Bold geometry counters the filigree.

Reimagined Techniques

Similarly voracious in her knowledge of current technology and modern production methods. This distillation of arcane history, creative innovation and commercial pragmatism defines her work.

Collaboration

The studio is equally committed to the unique, with a focus on bespoke commissions and commercial design collaborations. Genevieve is a respected and in demand creative partner for a burgeoning number of global brands from Mulberry to Crate and Barrel.