House of Hackney launches Circus of alternatives

Evocative: House Of Hackney

Something fashionably festive is simmering behind the Edwardian façade of a disused power station in the Shoreditch Triangle.

Yesterday CIRCUS, a Christmas festival of small fashion and design labels organised by House of Hackney, threw open the doors of The Tramshed in a flurry of feather headpieces, stuffed birds and silken scarves.

The five-day event advocates, through name and principle, an alternative to the hellish pre-Christmas stampede of Oxford Circus, and will exhibit both emerging and established labels from design, fashion and art crossover.

Overheated department stores, strip lighting and crowded tube stations are replaced with a relaxed and spacious environment full of foodie treats and innovative festive displays. CIRCUS coordinator Poppy Corby-Tuech says: “we’re providing a space for each label – no compartments or tables or anything like that – so what they do with their space is entirely up to them. The more imaginative the better.”

House of Hackney is a British homeware and design label whose wonderfully evocative play on the old has led to their rapid ascent since launching earlier this year. Their quirky patterned upholstery and wallpapers, entitled things like ‘Dalston Rose’ and ‘Hackney Empire’, have featured in magazine editorial shoots and are stocked at Liberty.

Javvy M Royle and Frieda Gormley launched the label with a hugely successful pop-up shop and were keen to do it again, and this time to unite with similarly positioned brands, each benefiting from the camaraderie.

Many of those showcasing their work at CIRCUS are Hackney-based craftspeople and designers, creating limited edition pieces. Hand-drawn illustrative print silk scarves from Hackney’s Silken Favours are a highlight, having graced the wish list pages of magazines over recent months. Victoria Murdoch – the creative force behind the label – reimagines this classic accessory with an injection of vivid colour and beetle, bug and bird designs.

Rosita Bonita’s collection of gold and foil embossed leather jewellery, all made in Hackney, makes reference to religious symbolism with a playful, mystic quality.

Artist-taxidermist Polly Morgan offers an imaginative take on still lives, with her feathered creations. Expect the scent of pine needles from the fresh Christmas trees and edible wonders courtesy of E2 baker Lily Vanilli.

With so many of these labels based in Hackney, CIRCUS is a fantastic way of promoting local makers and producers, long-term. House of Hackney has applied its keen eye to the sometimes gruelling and fruitless experience of Christmas shopping. The outcome is set to be something truly spectacular.

CIRCUS
14-18 December 2011, 10am – 8pm daily
The Tramshed, Shoreditch
14 Garden Walk,
London, EC2A 3EQ