We’re excited to announce that we’ve been busy working with Francli Craftwear on our very own Leach Pottery apron!
The potters in the Studio have long been talking about the perfect potter’s apron – so we decided to create our own. We needed something hard-wearing that would hopefully last a lifetime.
For those of you who know Jeff Oestreich, we were very touched when he came here for a Residency last year and created very personal gifts for everyone made from other potters’ aprons. This got us thinking about how they can become such a personal item and we really had to work hard to not just make any apron but one you would want to cherish for a lifetime: one that could take on the spirit of the potter!
We also aspired to have them handmade in Cornwall using UK fabrics and fixings, and using an Indigo dye that reflected our Japanese influences. Then we met Ali and everything started falling into place.
Ali Goodman, trading as Francli Craftwear, is a Cornwall-based designer-maker that crafts hardy workwear and accessories for makers and outdoors people. From her farm workshop, she makes dungarees, aprons, rucksacks and small carry goods in close collaboration with the creative people that will use her designs. Ali Goodman says:
I was very flattered to be approached by Leach to develop an apron with them. We have a shared interest in traditional craft skills and Japanese design philosophies, so I knew this would be a project I could get lost in. It’s been amazing to watch the potters and learn about how they work. I’m really excited to reveal the result!
Over the last six months Ali and the the Leach Potters have been discussing and designing the perfect potter’s apron. After two rounds of sampling and testing, and six different iterations, we have now decided on a final design inspired by the potter’s movements and the rich heritage of the Leach Pottery. As the potters onsite vary in size quite a lot, we had to make something that could be adjusted to fit well on the largest to the smallest.
The aprons are now in the process of being made in Ali’s workshop, and will be ready to go on sale in our Shop this April. We’ve had a small run of 50 made, so after we have kitted-out the staff here there will be some available to buy.
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