Gift Focus inc Attire Accessories - March/April 2021

80 where things are made, the quality of the material and the story behind what they’re buying. The market for homeware is growing fivefold in 2020, according to the reports we found as people fill their homes with things they love. Lockdown sparked a nationwide re-evaluation of our living spaces as people sought to create more enjoyable home environments. The burgeoning popularity of the street art form. Always a bit ‘underground’ as an art form, there are now specific street-art galleries popping up across the UK, and the recent ‘Trespassing’ sale of street art at Christie’s showed that street art is not only being increasingly accepted and celebrated as an art form but valued highly as such, too. This year, London saw its first ever Mural Festival, with over 100 pieces of street art commissioned to go up across the city. For example, Carl Cashman (one of our artists) was commissioned to create two huge murals at the base of the Leadenhall skyscraper in the heart of the capital. People celebrated having street art painted on their streets, which is quite a cultural phenomenon. What challenges have you overcome since the company’s launch? Naturally, the COVID situation affected us. We knew if we could launch and sustain ourselves through it, we’d be well set for the future, but it wasn’t easy. Up to twenty skilled craftsmen are needed to create each one of our pieces of fine bone china street art and inevitably some people in that team were affected by illness, isolation or even furlough, so we struggled initially to meet demand. Launching a new brand in the middle of a lockdown also meant it’s been difficult to meet buyers in the way we wanted. Our products look great in pictures, but they truly astound in person. We wanted to put them in the hands of buyers to make that impact, but of course that has been a true challenge. Tell us about your product offering. Venus & the Cat creates bespoke premium homeware in collaboration with standout talent from the UK’s street art scene. The brand’s ethos of sustainable luxury fuses elegantly functional objects from Britain’s finest ceramic craftsmen with unique artwork from homegrown urban artists. Our inaugural range features two bespoke large indoor plant pots and a tall vase, all made in the heart of ‘The Potteries’ by one of the few remaining English potteries specialising in fine bone china, still remaining true to traditional techniques after 133 years. The artists are each celebrated in their fields, having seen exhibitions of their work all around the world and achieved significant commercial commissions for well- regarded brands. What are your most popular products? As we’re so new it’s difficult to say we have a clear ‘most popular’ product. We made a conscious decision to launch with three artists with very distinct styles; a more ‘traditional’ graffiti artists and illustrator, a visual artist and printmaker, and a brilliant geometric artist – so the pieces all look very different and appeal to different kinds of customer. Every individual seems to have a clear favourite, but they each earn equal attention. Have any styles taken you by surprise with their popularity? The surprise for us has been how different customers, stockists and journalists all seem to favour a different design. It’s validated our conviction that this kind of art has a place on homeware and it’s appealing to a broader audience than just street art enthusiasts. How do you keep your designs fresh and current? Do you follow trends? The key trend we focus on is street art – there are always new artists emerging and doing beautiful things and we’re on the lockout for new talent. Our plan is to continue to launch new products in collaboration with a diverse range of street artists in the coming years. What sets you apart from your competitors? The key differentiator between us and other homeware brands is the street art. There is lots of beautiful homeware available to buy, but we love the juxtaposition of classical, premium homeware and bold, impactful street art. Its why our products are both functional, usable items, but also Limited Edition works of art; our first two stockists weren’t homeware stores, but art galleries. How are you finding the current climate in the UK? Is it affecting business? Whilst we were in the planning stages of the business working with our artists on their briefs, they told us that 2020 had been a busy year for each of them, which speaks to the trend for people beautifying their homes and investing in themselves and the things that bring them