Amelia’s Magazine | Molluscs, Microbes and Mutants: an interview with luxury silk scarf designer Claire Corstorphine

Claire_Corstorphine_Birds_Scarf

Luxury accessories designer Claire Corstorphine graduated from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art in Design in Dundee in 2012, when I discovered her bold designs at the annual New Designers exhibition. Since then she has built a thriving business, gaining exposure for her beautiful handmade products in a host of Scottish editorials. I spoke with Claire about building her brand and what comes next.

Claire Corstorphine by Megan Thomas.

In what way did your art college prepare you for the outside world?
On a personal level, I’m not sure it did! When you have been in the same environment for four years where your time is managed for you, there is a sense of security and familiarity, so it’s a shock when the safety net is removed. In a creative sense, it taught me how to push my design process by looking at visual information in a more analytical way and by continually redeveloping my designs. With regards to running my own business, this is something I’ve had to learn as I go. I think there should be more support available to students who are aiming to get their products into the retail market. Learning practical skills like how to price your work, construct press packs or how to approach retailers is invaluable.

Claire Costophine by Megan Thomas

Claire Corstorphine birds scarf

Since I first noticed your work at the New Designers fair in 2012 things have gone from strength to strength – what has been the best bit about developing your own label? And what has been the hardest?
The best thing is having complete creative control over your own vision. You are designing to your own brief, your own timescale and your own abilities. Seeing your designs on finished products and having people wanting to wear them is just the best feeling! The hardest thing, especially as an individual, is that you have sole responsibly in overcoming any pitfalls that might come your way, whether financial, personal or creative. You take on so many different roles you really have to manage your time effectively.

You have said that you were very dispirited at that fair, and my writing about your textiles really gave you a boost – why was that and why do you think it is so important to support young design talent?
New Designers was difficult as my mother had lost her fight to illness a couple of months previous and I wasn’t sure if it was the right thing in being there. It was hard answering questions about where I could see myself when all I was trying to do was get through the day! When I saw that my work had been featured in Amelia’s Magazine, it gave me the confidence that I had the beginnings of a product that other people liked too and it encouraged me to continue what I had started.

It’s hard to get a foot on the ladder in such a harsh and critical industry. Having a platform like Amelia’s Magazine supports young designers by giving them an opportunity to showcase their work and acts as a steppingstone to pursuing a career which often seems out of reach.

Claire_Corstorphine_Fibonacci_Scarf

How did you settle on designing scarves, and what are your favourite ways to wear them?
I think it was a natural instinct for me to apply my designs to scarves. From a young age I’ve had the collecting bug and I’m fascinated by items that can be admired as beautiful objects as well as having a functional purpose. There are many ways a wearer can reflect their personality through a scarf, such as a statement turban or a conservative necktie. I personally like to wear mine relaxed, so I might wear one in a bandana style with a large point at the front, or tied to the strap of a slouchy shoulder bag.

Claire Corstorphine Butterflies scarf

How do you ensure that they are ethically produced, and how did you source your suppliers?
It’s very important to me to source my materials and manufacturing processes as locally as possible to ensure an environmental and ethical responsibility. All garments are digitally printed in Edinburgh by a company called BeFab Be Creative, who really understand the needs of the students and graduates they work with. I then sew all the garments by hand myself in Fife.

Claire Corstorphine Darwin scarf

You have consistently been inspired by nature and in particular evolution – where does this interest stem from?
The current collection ‘Molluscs, Microbes and Mutants’ takes inspiration from the theories of evolution and explores imagery inspired by progression of natural selection towards modern day artificial creation. I think living and growing up in such a picturesque part of Scotland where you are surrounded by countryside, woodlands and beaches, has definitely influenced my work and sparked an interest in the natural world. Studying in Dundee also, meant there were connections to biologist D’arcy Wentworth Thompson who created the university’s first Zoology Museum. This was a great source of inspiration and I did most of my drawings from his original collections of butterflies and other creepy crawlies.

How are your designs created and then made print ready?
I begin my design process by firstly gathering a large body of sketchbook drawing and research. This is then digitally manipulated and embellished to create what has become a signature design feature; graphic collage from my own photography and vintage found imagery, combined with quirky illustration. There is also a lot of consideration in relation to composition of the design to ensure that no matter which way the scarf is worn, there is always an area of interest to be seen.

Claire_Corstorphine_Painterly_Scarf

Do you have any plans to expand your range in the future and if so can you share any ideas with us?
I have big plans for the label in 2014 and I’m currently seeking funding to help achieve my ambition to elevate Claire Corstorphine Luxury Silk Accessories as a recognisable accessories label in the retail market. This involves developing the collection into additional items such as bow ties and tutorial materials, which will hopefully complement the current ranges.

Categories ,BeFab Be Creative, ,Claire Corstorphine, ,Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art in Design, ,Dundee, ,D’arcy Thompson, ,D’arcy Wentworth Thompson, ,Fife, ,interview, ,Luxury Silk Accessories, ,Megan Thomas, ,Microbes and Mutants, ,Molluscs, ,New Designers, ,scotland, ,Zoology Museum

Similar Posts:






Amelia’s Magazine | Diamond Mine by Jon Hopkins and King Creosote. An interview with Kenny Anderson.

King Creosote and Jon Hopkins by Rosemary Cunningham
King Creosote and Jon Hopkins by Rosemary Cunningham.

In the second part of my attempt to delve into the creation of the amazing collaborative album Diamond Mine, physician Kenny Anderson (aka King Creosote) answers my questions with a frankness and candour that matches the genius of his songwriting. Thanks so much for your wonderful answers Kenny! And if you haven’t heard it yet, viagra you must get a copy of Diamond Mine by Jon Hopkins and King Creosote, out now on Domino Records.

Jon Hopkins and King Creosote by Sarah Alfarhan
Jon Hopkins and King Creosote by Sarah Alfarhan.

How did Jon first approach you and what were your first thoughts about his proposal?

Diamond Mine is the latest instalment of many years of different sorts of collaborations between JH and KC. In 2004 (I think) Jon approached me at a Fence Collective show in Pittenweem and asked if I’d re-record a version of a track called Your Own Spell with him. He’d heard the original on an old KC album, but he asked in a way that didn’t make me question the quality of my version, and I thought ‘what a clever, tactful chap’. 

YouTube Preview ImageYour Own Spell

He remixed a track called A Sad Ha Ha that I recorded with Magnetophone for 4AD, and that made me all teary at the end of a Homegame when I heard it.

YouTube Preview ImageThe Vice-like Gist of It

Next up he remixed The Vice-like Gist of It as a B-side which stopped Janice Forsyth in her tracks, and at the end of 2006′s Green Man Festival he played me And the Racket They Made. I shed real tears and instantly agreed to play at a stranger’s wedding because of it. 

YouTube Preview ImageAnd the Racket They Made

We started on a collaboration album proper late in 2006, and the initial efforts were drafted into Bombshell for 679 once we’d secured the producer’s job for Jon, and in 2008 he worked on a couple of the Flick the Vs songs.  

Even with all that under our collaborative belt, I think Jon felt he hadn’t quite made a true and genuine collaboration with my voice very much to the fore, band and record label concessions very much to the aft. Two years ago he called me back to London – this time there’d be no siphoning off of our labours.

King Creosote. Photo by Steve Gullick
King Creosote. Photo by Steve Gullick.

How well do you think you have both managed to evoke “space, longevity and timelessness”?

As a collection of songs spanning my entire songwriting history, sung in what is undoubtedly my best recorded singing voice to date, for my part I hope that was enough to push the record away from just the period leading up to a 2011 release. There’s everything from the naive views of an impatient student right through to the cynical musings of an impatient middle aged grump. Jon’ll tell you the in & outs of the music content, but most of what you hear is acoustic guitar, accordion, piano and voices – all of them timeless instruments I’d say. Jon’s given the whole thing a fairly light and airy touch.

Longevity … Well, I should be quite a few dozen listens ahead of our most ardent fans, and I still hear brand new sounds with every listen. The tracklisting still surprises me from time to time, and the album can take an hour to pass, sometimes just a few seconds. In brief, we’ve nailed it on all three counts :)

King Creosote and Jon Hopkins by Sam Parr
King Creosote and Jon Hopkins by Sam Parr.

How is middle age treating you? I like the way that you say you intend to make the most your “thinning hair and diet of white flour and sugar” but it can’t be all bad?

I’m enjoying middle age immensely. I’ve resigned myself to most of the physical wear and tear, but in my head it’s not as bad as when I actually see my ageing mush in a mirror. I only have to look at an Ampeg bass rig and my back starts to hurt, and so as a rule I avoid reflective surfaces and load ins.

YouTube Preview ImageJohn Taylor’s Month Away

What’s the best part about growing older?

There’s a certain smugness comes with the realisation that I was incredibly lucky to grow up in the 70s & 80s – not only had national service long ended, but we enjoyed immense freedoms. Being young in the 2010s with all these mobile phones, digital cameras, youtube, facebook and twitter sites tracking your every move has absolutely no appeal. Hahahahahahahaha! And we TREASURED records, making live gigs and the latest album releases real moments of excitement and joy.    

YouTube Preview ImageBubble

Some of these songs were written as long ago as 20 years and more. What did it feel like to dredge them up again? Did you experience lots of weird emotions?

I’ve re-recorded many of my songs for lots of different albums, so I’m used to it. It’s difficult to explain now just what Your Own Spell from 1988 is truly about, so I just say it’s a banal ‘be careful what you wish for’ type tale. I’ve got a better, more emotionally believable voice now than I did back then, so not so hard to get the mindset right. Thankfully there are no real happy songs on Diamond Mine – that’s the one emotion I haven’t cracked yet.

King Creosote by Victoria Haynes
King Creosote by Victoria Haynes.

How do you feel about modern technology?  

On one hand a genius from the modern age can come along and make something that sounds as good as Diamond Mine, but in general I find it a real drag and best avoided whenever possible. If technology results in a machine that drops one back into a pre-technological era, than I’m all for it. I’d punch 1974 into the dial and would probably expire in time for the millenium celebrations. 

YouTube Preview ImageBats in the Attic

You say that “being a dad lights the way out”. How do your family fit into the musical world? Do they join you, and do they take part in your projects in any way?   

My dad, uncle, brothers and cousins are all musical, but quite different in their approach, so it doesn’t feel like competition in any way. My daughter has an incredible ear for melody and a limitless memory for lyrics – she wants to do medicine, so she didn’t get my squeamish gene. I used to play with one of my brothers – Iain – in a bluegrass outfit yonks ago, and I’ve backed up the other brother Gordon on many live sets, but as we get older, the brothers and I tend to avoid interaction with each other’s music as much as possible, and stick to comedy impersonations of our dad, clicking heels and all. I’m a bigger fan of their music than they are of mine, so that helps!

YouTube Preview ImageYour Young Voice

My dad recently organised an Anderson showcase for charity. It was an incredibly surreal afternoon of many different musical styles played in front of a white haired audience, so not a chance of any of it landing up on youtube. 
And relax.

Thankyou so much for your wonderful answers Kenny!

King Creosote and Jon Hopkins by Laura Warecki
King Creosote and Jon Hopkins by Laura Warecki.

Diamond Mine is intended to be listened to in one sitting, so once you’ve had a chance to sample the tracks above make sure you grab a copy of the whole thing. Jon Hopkins and King Creosote will be back on tour in September. Full Diamond Mine tour listing information here. Don’t forget to also check out my interview with Jon Hopkins here.

Categories ,4ad, ,679 Recordings, ,A Sad Ha Ha, ,album, ,And the Racket They Made, ,Bats in the Attic, ,Bombshell, ,Bubble, ,Diamond Mine, ,Domino Records, ,Fence Records, ,Fife, ,Flick the Vs, ,interview, ,Janice Forsyth, ,John Taylor’s Month Away, ,Jon Hopkins, ,Kenny Anderson, ,King Creosote, ,Laura Warecki, ,Magnetophone, ,Pittenweem, ,review, ,Rosemary Cunningham, ,Sam Parr, ,Sarah Alfarhan, ,Steve Gullick, ,The Vice-like Gist of It, ,Victoria Haynes, ,Your Own Spell, ,Your Young Voice

Similar Posts:






Amelia’s Magazine | Diamond Mine by Jon Hopkins and King Creosote. A review and interview with Jon Hopkins.

Jon Hopkins King Creosote cover
Diamond Mine was released in the UK a few months ago and came out in the US only recently, for sale so I hope that some of my readers will already have heard it for it is without doubt one of the most wonderful pieces of music I have heard in many years. And I don’t say that lightly. The album is a collaboration between Fife based folk singer songwriter King Creosote and Royal College of Music graduate Jon Hopkins, viagra approved who specialises in electronica.

Jon Hopkins and King Creosote by Gareth A Hopkins
Jon Hopkins and King Creosote by Gareth A Hopkins.

King Creosote is the driving force behind the fabulous Fence Records collective and runs HomeGame Festival in Fife, viagra buy a cult destination for many a muso. Jon Hopkins collaborates with the likes of Coldplay and Brian Eno. Together they really have made something exceptionally special, a sprawling re-imagining of King Creosote songs from across the years, bittersweet lyrics offset with a lushly atmospheric backdrop that includes the sounds of real life. I caught up with both Kenny ‘King Creosote’ Anderson and Jon Hopkins to find out how this unique partnership came about, and what the process of making Diamond Mine was like. First up here’s Jon:

When and where did you first hear King Creosote’s music? Did you fall in love immediately or was it a slow gradual thing?
A friend of mine kept putting Kenny And Beth’s Musakal Boat Rides on at parties and stuff. It took me a while to get into, it had such a different sound to the more polished things I was used to. It grew on me quickly but it was when I first heard his much harder-to-find album Psalm Clerk that I became a massive fan.

King Creosote and Jon Hopkins by Felice
King Creosote and Jon Hopkins by Felice Perkins.

This album was produced over a number of years… how has that process worked in reality? How many times have you managed to meet up, and are there any memorable moments from those meetings?
The album probably took about 6 or 7 weeks in total, but hugely spread out. We recorded most of the vocals in one go, then collected sounds from all over the place to build up the backdrops. We’re friends predominantly so we meet a fair few times a year, sometimes we record, sometimes we sit around talking nonsense and consuming fruit beers. 

You talk about the songs tapping into the “sweet sadness” of everyday life, and I think this is the first album in so long that has made me almost want to cry. Why do you think that Kenny’s voice is so evocative? And how have you done your best to encourage those emotions he defines so well?
For me it’s something in the accent, the phrasing, the lyrics, and the fact that there aren’t any singers that sound like him. On this record I wanted to kind of build these sonic worlds for that voice to live in, if you can forgive the pretentiousness of that sentence. The crucial thing was never to add any parts that would detract from the voice.

Jon Hopkins. Photo by Steve Gullick
Jon Hopkins. Photo by Steve Gullick.

Where does your female choir come from?
It is just one voice layered many times, that of Lisa Elle, who harmonises with Kenny throughout the record. I liked the idea of making her sound like a choir of sirens, in keeping with the whole seafaring thing – that is what the end section of John Taylor’s Month Away is supposed to be.

Some of the tracks feature a backdrop of normal daytime noises against which Kenny’s vocals are overlaid. Why did you decide to do this? And where were these recorded?
I liked the idea of dropping the listener into the reality of the world that these songs come from. All the field recordings are from the fishing villages in Fife around the place Kenny has spent his life. It’s a big part of the record, and is a technique I’ve been using on my own stuff for a while too.

Jon Hopkins and King Creosote by Lorna Scobie
Jon Hopkins and King Creosote by Lorna Scobie.

What was the best part of visiting Kenny in Fife?
I’ve been visiting that part of the world regularly for 7 years now; Kenny and his friends organise an incredible music festival there every year, which attracts some amazing artists. Too many amazing memories to list, plus most are unprintable.

Will you and Kenny be working again, and if so what have you got planned?
We have been thinking about a follow-up, yes. No definite ideas or plans yet though. This is not a project we tend to move quickly on.

Listen to a taster of the album here:

Next up, my interview with the equally fabulous King Creosote

Categories ,album, ,brian eno, ,Coldplay, ,Diamond Mine, ,electronica, ,Felice Perkins, ,Fence Records, ,festival, ,Fife, ,folk, ,Gareth A Hopkins, ,HomeGame, ,interview, ,Jon Hopkins, ,Kenny And Beth’s Musakal Boat Rides, ,Kenny Anderson, ,King Creosote, ,Lorna Scobie, ,Psalm Clerk, ,review, ,Royal College of Music, ,scotland, ,Sirens, ,Steve Gullick

Similar Posts:






Amelia’s Magazine | Diamond Mine by Jon Hopkins and King Creosote. An interview with Kenny Anderson.

King Creosote and Jon Hopkins by Rosemary Cunningham
King Creosote and Jon Hopkins by Rosemary Cunningham.

In the second part of my attempt to delve into the creation of the amazing collaborative album Diamond Mine, Kenny Anderson (aka King Creosote) answers my questions with a frankness and candour that matches the genius of his songwriting. Thanks so much for your wonderful answers Kenny! And if you haven’t heard it yet, you must get a copy of Diamond Mine by Jon Hopkins and King Creosote, out now on Domino Records.

Jon Hopkins and King Creosote by Sarah Alfarhan
Jon Hopkins and King Creosote by Sarah Alfarhan.

How did Jon first approach you and what were your first thoughts about his proposal?

Diamond Mine is the latest instalment of many years of different sorts of collaborations between JH and KC. In 2004 (I think) Jon approached me at a Fence Collective show in Pittenweem and asked if I’d re-record a version of a track called Your Own Spell with him. He’d heard the original on an old KC album, but he asked in a way that didn’t make me question the quality of my version, and I thought ‘what a clever, tactful chap’. 

YouTube Preview ImageYour Own Spell

He remixed a track called A Sad Ha Ha that I recorded with Magnetophone for 4AD, and that made me all teary at the end of a Homegame when I heard it.

YouTube Preview ImageThe Vice-like Gist of It

Next up he remixed The Vice-like Gist of It as a B-side which stopped Janice Forsyth in her tracks, and at the end of 2006’s Green Man Festival he played me And the Racket They Made. I shed real tears and instantly agreed to play at a stranger’s wedding because of it. 

YouTube Preview ImageAnd the Racket They Made

We started on a collaboration album proper late in 2006, and the initial efforts were drafted into Bombshell for 679 once we’d secured the producer’s job for Jon, and in 2008 he worked on a couple of the Flick the Vs songs.  

Even with all that under our collaborative belt, I think Jon felt he hadn’t quite made a true and genuine collaboration with my voice very much to the fore, band and record label concessions very much to the aft. Two years ago he called me back to London – this time there’d be no siphoning off of our labours.

King Creosote. Photo by Steve Gullick
King Creosote. Photo by Steve Gullick.

How well do you think you have both managed to evoke “space, longevity and timelessness”?

As a collection of songs spanning my entire songwriting history, sung in what is undoubtedly my best recorded singing voice to date, for my part I hope that was enough to push the record away from just the period leading up to a 2011 release. There’s everything from the naive views of an impatient student right through to the cynical musings of an impatient middle aged grump. Jon’ll tell you the in & outs of the music content, but most of what you hear is acoustic guitar, accordion, piano and voices – all of them timeless instruments I’d say. Jon’s given the whole thing a fairly light and airy touch.

Longevity … Well, I should be quite a few dozen listens ahead of our most ardent fans, and I still hear brand new sounds with every listen. The tracklisting still surprises me from time to time, and the album can take an hour to pass, sometimes just a few seconds. In brief, we’ve nailed it on all three counts :)

King Creosote and Jon Hopkins by Sam Parr
King Creosote and Jon Hopkins by Sam Parr.

How is middle age treating you? I like the way that you say you intend to make the most your “thinning hair and diet of white flour and sugar” but it can’t be all bad?

I’m enjoying middle age immensely. I’ve resigned myself to most of the physical wear and tear, but in my head it’s not as bad as when I actually see my ageing mush in a mirror. I only have to look at an Ampeg bass rig and my back starts to hurt, and so as a rule I avoid reflective surfaces and load ins.

YouTube Preview ImageJohn Taylor’s Month Away

What’s the best part about growing older?

There’s a certain smugness comes with the realisation that I was incredibly lucky to grow up in the 70s & 80s – not only had national service long ended, but we enjoyed immense freedoms. Being young in the 2010s with all these mobile phones, digital cameras, youtube, facebook and twitter sites tracking your every move has absolutely no appeal. Hahahahahahahaha! And we TREASURED records, making live gigs and the latest album releases real moments of excitement and joy.    

YouTube Preview ImageBubble

Some of these songs were written as long ago as 20 years and more. What did it feel like to dredge them up again? Did you experience lots of weird emotions?

I’ve re-recorded many of my songs for lots of different albums, so I’m used to it. It’s difficult to explain now just what Your Own Spell from 1988 is truly about, so I just say it’s a banal ‘be careful what you wish for’ type tale. I’ve got a better, more emotionally believable voice now than I did back then, so not so hard to get the mindset right. Thankfully there are no real happy songs on Diamond Mine – that’s the one emotion I haven’t cracked yet.

King Creosote by Victoria Haynes
King Creosote by Victoria Haynes.

How do you feel about modern technology?  

On one hand a genius from the modern age can come along and make something that sounds as good as Diamond Mine, but in general I find it a real drag and best avoided whenever possible. If technology results in a machine that drops one back into a pre-technological era, than I’m all for it. I’d punch 1974 into the dial and would probably expire in time for the millenium celebrations. 

YouTube Preview ImageBats in the Attic

You say that “being a dad lights the way out”. How do your family fit into the musical world? Do they join you, and do they take part in your projects in any way?   

My dad, uncle, brothers and cousins are all musical, but quite different in their approach, so it doesn’t feel like competition in any way. My daughter has an incredible ear for melody and a limitless memory for lyrics – she wants to do medicine, so she didn’t get my squeamish gene. I used to play with one of my brothers – Iain – in a bluegrass outfit yonks ago, and I’ve backed up the other brother Gordon on many live sets, but as we get older, the brothers and I tend to avoid interaction with each other’s music as much as possible, and stick to comedy impersonations of our dad, clicking heels and all. I’m a bigger fan of their music than they are of mine, so that helps!

YouTube Preview ImageYour Young Voice

My dad recently organised an Anderson showcase for charity. It was an incredibly surreal afternoon of many different musical styles played in front of a white haired audience, so not a chance of any of it landing up on youtube. 
And relax.

Thankyou so much for your wonderful answers Kenny!

King Creosote and Jon Hopkins by Laura Warecki
King Creosote and Jon Hopkins by Laura Warecki.

Diamond Mine is intended to be listened to in one sitting, so once you’ve had a chance to sample the tracks above make sure you grab a copy of the whole thing. Jon Hopkins and King Creosote will be back on tour in September. Full Diamond Mine tour listing information here. Don’t forget to also check out my interview with Jon Hopkins here.

Categories ,4ad, ,679 Recordings, ,A Sad Ha Ha, ,album, ,And the Racket They Made, ,Bats in the Attic, ,Bombshell, ,Bubble, ,Diamond Mine, ,Domino Records, ,Fence Records, ,Fife, ,Flick the Vs, ,interview, ,Janice Forsyth, ,John Taylor’s Month Away, ,Jon Hopkins, ,Kenny Anderson, ,King Creosote, ,Laura Warecki, ,Magnetophone, ,Pittenweem, ,review, ,Rosemary Cunningham, ,Sam Parr, ,Sarah Alfarhan, ,Steve Gullick, ,The Vice-like Gist of It, ,Victoria Haynes, ,Your Own Spell, ,Your Young Voice

Similar Posts: