Supporting someone in the same industry as you isn’t going to hurt your business or lose you sales. In fact it’s important to celebrate those in the same field as you. Community is everything as a creative and business.

Two Sundays ago I went to London to visit Top Drawer. In the hope to meet new people, talk to creatives and share some of my favourites with you all. Think of this as a visual conversation with some truly stand out brands and creatives. Whether it’s colour, pattern, branding, creativity or something else, these are the top 15 stands that stood out to me, in order I viewed them on the day.

Bloom Street

Bloom Street is an international agency. With a focus on wholesale, growth and strategy they help design led brands. On their website they list all of the great brands they represent and so many of my favourites like Slow Down Studio and The Completist are represented by them! But a new one on their stand caught my eye at Top Drawer, Tarta Gelatina. Their use of colour and pattern is impossible to miss but as you get closer it’s their playful use of shape that really sets them apart. Rugs with scalloped edging and bags that look so comfy to carry are just the beginning. It’s also hard to miss the amazing horse cap, which made me delve further into the rest of their range - I need one!

“Tarta Gelatina was founded in 2020 by creative couple Paz and Marcel. They aim to bring joy to the home with thoughtfully designed, playful goods that are consciously made using organic fibres made by artisans across Spain, Portugal, Lithuania and India.” - bloomstreetagency.com

Yonder

“Yonder creates organic cotton essentials for children and their grown-ups—thoughtfully designed for everyday life and faraway adventures. Rooted in family life and made to last, each piece celebrates slow living, play, and the beauty of handmade.” - yonderliving.com

Okay, everything about Yonder I loved. The patterns, the colours, the materials, the products, the shapes and the founder - Sophia! Just such a lovely stand to stumble across and I had such a nice conversation with Sophia and her team. I left equally wanting to buy everything and also work with them (are you hiring!?). As we head into Autumn I can think of nothing better than curling up on the sofa in a pair of their block printed pyjamas. The use of traditional printing methods brings a unique and organic feel to each piece. Beautifully soft, playful and inviting. With sustainable and responsible design at the core of this brand, it’s one you don’t want to miss.

Sophie Home

The colours drew me in first, the dishcloths you actually want on display made me stay and the adorable children’s toys were the reason I didn’t want to leave! The colours are bold and the patterns simple and paired with textures and fabrics that really compliment the designs, Sophie Home was a lesson in how great material choices can really set a brand apart.

“Sophie Home began with a simple idea: that bold colour and thoughtful design can transform a space - and make us smile.” - sophiehome.com

Abrams and Chronicle

Books have always been a design pull for me. Whether it’s a great cover design or the imagination in Children’s books - if there’s a bookshop in my path i’m heading in. Abrams and Chronicle had a great selection of children’s books. A book by one of my all time favourite illustrators, Natalia Shaloshvili titled Miss Leoparda was my first pick up, followed by Christmas themed story ‘…And a Partridge in a Pear Tree” There was so much variety in illustration style as well as a lot of painterly and textured styles -lovely to see in this ever growing digital age.

“Their vibrant and illustrious lists include best-selling and globally renowned authors, illustrators, designers, artists, chefs and photographers.” abramsandchronicle.co.uk

Bookspeed

Bookspeed had an abundant collection of books on display. A large stand that covered everything from design books, recipe books, children’s books, puzzles, games and more! Working for retailers as a wholesale service for books they curate book collections and supply books across the UK. A real display of how many great illustrators and designers there are working on book covers and products - If this was a shop I could have stayed all day!

The Archivist

I’ve been a fan of The Archivist for a long time, while usually shopping their products in their stockists it was such a joy to see their full collections in one place. Working with a vast community of artists their products are so beautifully unique and cover many themes and styles - you’ll be sure to find the perfect gift for anyone (or yourself!).

You can see how much quality and tradition means to this company, their careful consideration of paper stock for cards, the feel of the matchboxes in your hand and their letter press sitting proudly on display. Forever a favourite company of mine!

“Ink and paper have always been at the heart of what we do, and today, as owners of Britain’s largest dedicated Letterpress printing facility, we continue to push the boundaries of quality and innovation.” - www.archivistgallery.com

SC Brands

Another one for the kids. SC brands looks after 5 brands but the two that I thought were too cute to ignore were Egmont Toys and Nutshell.

Starting with Nutshell; they have 6 characters to choose from. All animals that can be found in British wildlife and in a small or large version. Each character is named after the designers family pets and comes with a personal story. These toys have clearly been designed with a lot of love and care. Made with natural fibres they look and feel like they’re made to last a lifetime.

“Every Nutshell character is inspired by British wildlife, animals children can actually spot in gardens, parks, and hedgerows. They’re small enough to hold, but familiar enough to recognise when they appear in real life.” https://www.nutshelltoys.com/

Next up Egmont Toys. Bears on Vespas, cats on boats, watercolour painted stacking towers, whimsical puzzles and wooden toys - this brand has a cottage core softness to it that is perfect for gifting. Toys that are designed to keep and be passed on.

ACC Art books

Books I want in my house - on my shelves, in my kitchen and on my coffee table. Clearly I was drawn the the inky line drawings, a style that I often work in myself but great documentary and lifestyle photography books like ‘Cool Mothers’ will always have my attention too. ACC Art Books stand was a feast for a designers brain.

“ACC Art Books is one of the world’s leading publishers and distributors of books on the arts and visual culture. We sell and market beautiful books to retailers and wholesalers worldwide, making sure that they are available to the widest possible audiences.” - www.accartbooks.com/uk

The Matchbox Maker

In a sea of colour it was the monotone matchboxes that stood out to me most. Paired with the beautiful striped background they really made their mark. Linocut details that would work displayed on any shelf, table or mantel. Built by two friends, many of The Matchbox Maker’s boxes feature deboss techniques which add an extra level of tactility, making you want to grab a box for yourself even more!

Wrap

I first discovered Wrap when I was at University studying Printed Textiles and Surface Pattern Design, they were probably the first company I saw using pattern in products that I truly loved. Since then their product range has expanded, they’ve collaborated with many illustrators and artists and their collection of ornaments is the best I’ve seen - I want them all on my tree this year! Their full product range is so wonderfully curated that while there is so much variety, everything feels like a cohesive collection.

“Wrap is an independent design brand based in east London, collaborating with some of today’s most exciting contemporary illustrators and artists from around the world” wrapmagazine.com

Eggpress

I spoke with Tess, the founder of Egg Press and she told me they were all the way over from Portland! Looking at their stand I realised I’d seen and bought many of their cards before without being aware of the brand. Displaying both their in house designs as well as partnerships with other illustrators, there was so much talent at this stand! Celebrating traditional letterpress methods they’ve been making cards since 1999.

“Each and every Egg Press card is printed on our fleet of mid-century Heidelberg windmill presses. Our two printers bring a collective 30+ years of printmaking experience to the table. Each color you see on our cards is a hand-mixed ink, run through the press, one at a time.” www.eggpress.com

The Bear Days

This was Mollie’s first year at Top Drawer and I’m so pleased she was there! Mollie is the owner and designer behind The Bear Days and there was something so beautifully unique and imaginative about her work that really stood out to me. Featuring the same little bear across all of her products you’d think it could start to feel repetitive but Mollie’s clever illustrations feels far from that. There is so much character, story and personality in each that its hard to choose a favourite! You know it’s great design when you design cards yourself but want to buy all of someone else’s for your Christmas cards!

Piece of the Peach

I first came across Piece of the Peach’s cards in a shop local to me. It was so perfect for my friend I bought it straight away without hesitation. I found there were repeating trends and styles that were definitely present at Top Drawer within the Greeting card companies but Piece of the Peach’s range didn’t conform to these, in the best way possible! The illustrator behind the brand, Violet has a distinct style that lends itself beautifully toward her themes. I’ve not seen illustrations like this and I think thats such a wonderful quality to have for your brand!

“My inspiration is varied and can change on a daily basis, however I am captivated by all things from the natural world. These themes are also a consistent source of inspiration to me, medieval customs and illuminations, British and European folklore, folk art and antiquities, space and astronomy, feasting and decadence.“ www.pieceofthepeach.co.uk

Hadley

I think Hadley cards will always have a place in my heart and are probably my most bought brand. In a world with great digital design its so refreshing to see brands doing exceptional work with paint, pencil, collage, printing and cut out. From crown birthday cards you can actually wear, bird cut outs that sit perfectly on a shelf, flowers to put on your table and concertinas that feel like little home accessories; Hadley’s cards are little works of art that truly think are outside the box! My phone battery died as I got to this stand but I knew I wanted to include them in this list, so I went to charge my phone for 30 minutes in order to capture their lovely products!

“At Hadley we create fun, artistic products to bring a little joy to your everyday.” hadleypapergoods.co.uk

Thames and Hudson

The last stand I stopped to take pictures at before the drive back down to Cornwall was Thames and Hudson. Publishing books across art, design, photography, food, nature, history,culture and a growing children’s book list they cover most areas. My top spots at this stand were the checkerboard pages and the design layout of ‘The Butter Cookbook’ but my absolute favourite was the ‘Crazy Medieval Dudes’ sticker book. Every page was as creative as the last and I wanted to get a copy there and then.

“Their passion and mission was to create a ‘museum without walls’ and to make accessible to a large reading public the world of art and the research of top scholars.” www.thamesandhudson.com

Overall a great visit and well worth the conversations, introduction to new brands, in person viewing of ones I’ve long loved and seeing what so many talented people are up to!

In Conversation with: Top Drawer