abigail*ryan Concession Shop at Atelier-Design - Belfast City Centre...

 

Just a stones throw from the iconic City Hall, Atelier-Design opened it's (newly revamped!) doors on the 6th of November and unveiled a unique vision for a new brand of destination shopping in Belfast city centre, one which we at abigail*ryan, are very excited to be a part of! 

No. 7 Wellington Place is a stunning three story Georgian town-house, which has housed the second-floor Interiors showroom of the lovely James Fairley and Victor Branco's Architecture and Interior Design practice for the last two years. You might remember our lovely exhibition here, back in April?

When the opportunity arose to take over the entire majestic building, the creative duo jumped at the chance, and have spent the last few months designing and working towards an incredible curation of high end Furniture and Design brands, many of which are not available anywhere else in Ireland. 

They began their sourcing in Portugal,Victor's home country, and are bringing over a sumptuous and inspiring collection of hand made furniture and lighting.

Speaking about this exciting undertaking Victor had this to say...
" We were inspired by some of our favourite destination shopping environments around the world such as Liberty of London and Merci in Paris! We felt passionately that we could create a small piece of magic for Belfast shoppers to revel in, right in the heart of the city. We are so proud of the luxurious and inviting space we have created here."

In addition to our full abigail*ryan range, Atelier-Design are also stocking exciting brands such as MUNNA and DELIGHTFUL. The store will also be the first stockist in Ireland for DESIGNERS GUILD FURNITURE and Atelier-Design have been appointed brand ambassadors for CHRISTIAN LACROIX. They continue to be the premium stockist for high-end mid-century furniture pieces in the city, and have a wonderful sourcing service if you are looking for something in particular.

Atelier-Design are well renowned for their UrbanLUXE signature style. Expect deep, opulent colours, vibrant and luxurious fabrics and finishes, layered with unique patterns and prints alongside pops of uncommon colour and high end materials such as hand spun brass, marble, velvet and smoked glass. It's a unique look, that is at once contemporary and edgy, welcoming and nostalgic. Always, exciting and engaging.

We are delighted to have such a vibrant, and luxurious backdrop for our first concession store. You will, for the first time, be able to browse and shop our full range in person, including blankets, cushions, fabric & wallpaper, napkins, tea-towels and gift sets. 
We will be shortly be launching our first line of scented candles (we're EXCITED!), and will be having a Christmas shopping evening to show them off, so if you would like to receive an invite (mince pies and mulled wine!) then do sign up to our Mailing List… we have several in-store exclusives already, and will always be adding to the range. 

Make sure to pop in to the shop and showroom and get a jump-start on your Christmas shopping! 

Atelier-Design / abigail*ryan
No. 7 Wellington Place (just along from City Hall)
Belfast, BT1 6GB

Opening Hours: Wednesday-Saturday 10.30am-5.30pm (7pm on Thursday)

French Vintage Vie is also housed inside No.7, so make sure to stop off here for all your authentic French-sourced goodies!

Chickens!

This past weekend, we went on a little drive with my parents and visited Dobbies garden centre in Lisburn... you know, for a look around, and for some succulent soil. No big deal.

Well, then I spotted three little chickens who were the very last of the flock, and a sign saying they were reduced. I thought they were the loveliest, healthiest looking chickens I had ever seen, and they were so tame, so I started to panic. What if someone who didn't really WANT chickens bought them... what if they didn't look after them properly (??), or what if they...horror... ate them for their dinner (eek!)??. We spoke to the lovely lady who had been looking after them, and she told us they were the very last ones, had been there for a while (they're about six months old) and that they wouldn't be getting any more after this. Left on the shelf, so to speak.

At that point, I knew we were biting the bullet and taking them home. We have had a chicken house sitting in our garden for three years, and it's never been the 'right time'. We're always working, are away from home a lot on business trips etc etc, so we've always had an excuse not to! Well, I said BOO! to excuses and brought them home in boot of the car and got them settled in on Saturday afternoon.

So far, they're very easy to look after, and are laying eggs like pro's already. And they're DELICIOUS. I've never had an egg this fresh (a warm egg lifted from the straw bed is a thing of beauty) and it's so good.

So... meet the newest additions to Bell Farm (it's getting that way, right?)... Henrietta (the brown one), Brigitte (the white one) and Helga (the black/grey one). Such good girls.

Hope your week is good so far!
Abigail x

p.s. I never got that succulent soil...

Suki Tea, Belfast - "Tea as it should be"...

 

 

On Friday we visited the office HQ of Belfast brand Suki Tea, who are actually just down the road from our studio in Conway Mill, situated in Twin Spires...

We met with the lovely Gill, who was kind enough to talk us through their beautiful selection of tea's and tell us a bit about the brand, process and ethos. The smell from the tea was absolutely incredible as we walked in, and we had fun making our selection. We were looking for some tea for our clients, and finally settled on Earl Grey Blue Flower, which, in addition to being absolutely beautiful to look at (those vibrant blue flowers, wow!), tastes beautiful. So smooth and much more delicate and rounded that your average Earl Grey, which Gill explained was because of the large size of the leaf they use... we also picked up some Indian Spiced Chai (for infusing in milk), Mango Tango (on Gill's personal recommendation) and Apple Loves Mint, too. Can't wait to try them all!

As a little bit of back-ground to Suki Tea...

"Belfast’s Boutique Blender, Suki Tea, first set up in 2005 by business partners Annie and Oscar, has become a strong contender in the UK’s Loose Leaf tea market. Launched with the aim to provide their customers with the finest loose leaf tea, herbal infusions and fruit blends from around the world; the pair made ethical sourcing their priority whilst delivering a quality and fresh product. Winners of over 21 Great Taste Awards and multiple industry awards Suki Tea truly is ‘Tea as it should be’.

We're sure our clients will love the Earl Grey Blue Flower, and we're just delighted to be able to work with a local brand who is as passionate about quality as we are!

A big thanks to Gill for showing us the range, and if you're new to Suki Tea, be sure to check out their website and treat yourself to some DELICIOUSLY good tea, or visit them at the weekly St. Georges Market where they keep a stall...

...I think I'll go now and put the kettle on. Suki Tea, of course! ;)

A&R

*SUMMER SOLSTICE - Outdoor Dining Linens Special!*

 

 

There's something so lovely about Summer, when the days get long, hot and hazy and we all pile outdoors to light BBQ's,  to eat salads, or sandwiches, catching any hint of rays we can during the work week. Lounging in the sun all weekend when we can. Long may it last!

At chez a*r, we love setting the table outside beautifully... our coloured floral linens, brightly coloured glasses and stripey straws all layered together, a bunch of country-style flowers - making that little bit of effort - and taking our meal outside. Have a riot of colour!

Today is the Summer Solstice, the longest day of Summer, and to mark the day, we prepared a feast. Roast chicken, charcoal grilled summer vegetables on the barbecue and juicy raspberries. A celebration it was!

We want to spread the love and are running a variety of Summer Promotions on our LINENS for *outdoor dining*...

THIS WEEK - buy a box set of four napkins, and we will give you a tea-towel for FREE - buy a box set of eight napkins, we will give you two tea-towels for FREE! The designs are of your choice...

... so, next weekend, you'll be able to throw an out-door dining feast that looks just like ours, thoroughly bright and cheerful - 'abigail*ryan' style.

Enjoy some beautiful out-door dining on us! Get Shopping and get outside!!
love,

A&R

Review: Belfast College of Art Degree Show 2014...

Caroline McElroy - Visual Artist (Drawing & Painting)

Rachel Lister - Fine Artist (Drawing & Painting)

Susan Burnett - Textile & Graphic Designer (Textiles)

Cara McCaughey - Textile Artist and Illustrator (Textiles)

Hannah MS Granger - Textile Designer (Textiles)

Amy Caughey - Fashion Designer & Maker (Textiles)

EDIT: Gorgeous photography by Jonathan Graham (thank you to 'anon' for the tip-off!)

Grainne McKee (Fashion Textiles)

Karen Hanna - Embroidery / Print Designer (Textiles)

Daniel Nelis - Fine Artist (Drawing & Painting)

Claire Mc Elduff - Fashion Knitwear Designer (Fashion Textiles)

We attended the Degree Show at Belfast College of Art a couple of years ago, and left frustrated and disillusioned. It was the first time I had seen the output from the College here since moving to Belfast from Glasgow and I left, frankly, annoyed. 

I was cross at the seemingly (displayed) low skill level of the graduates, the derivative nature of the work and the lack-luster display... I felt cross because so much of this is down to the teaching behind the work, (though of course you can just get bad years) which needs to be the driving force of a school, and is the standard that gets set and that 'must be maintained'. All this is down to the educators. If a student is copying another contemporary artist or designer, verbatim, it's up to the teaching staff to step in and put their foot down, and notice... if a year-group isn't brought up to skill level, it's hard for them to realise their concepts in their final year to a really great standard of work. It all just felt 'not good enough'. That made me really sad.

As a successful luxury brand based in Northern Ireland, and one half of us trained here, we want the art and design talent coming out of the art school here to be *dazzling*... we want it to be able to stand up to the work of other designers in the UK, and around the world. Being 'good enough' for Belfast isn't enough, Belfast can and should be world-class, and there's no reason for young design talent not to be aiming for that peak.

So... we tentatively ventured back this year, and I'm really glad we did! There was some fantastic work at the show this year, with particular strength in Textiles (Fashion, Print and Weave), Drawing & Painting, and a real talent in Photography - our highlights are above. As Textiles designers, we were particularly happy to see such interesting and original work in Textiles & Fashion (and with potential for Interior applications) - it was an incredibly strong show... and we met some really engaged, professional, and well trained individuals presenting their work - market ready, and raring to go. Particular mentions go to Susan Burnett, Hannah Granger and Cara McCaughey whose skill level was really clear to see. It was good to have a chat with Susan and Hannah and hear about their plans for the future.

As a former jeweller, I was disappointed with the show from the Silversmithing & Jewellery department.  Concept, and trying to challenge convention is one thing, but to do it well, there needs to be an excellent under-pinning of practical skill and I felt it lacking. Keen to see what next year brings, though. 

Illustration had some fantastic work, but the presentation was a very strange choice and made it hard to identify each artists work as it was all mixed in together. It's a shame it was all digitally, and identically presented (and for this reason we have no photo's of it), so an important thing to consider from a business point of view, you never know who is coming to hire, and they need to be able to see YOUR work, clearly! They have a great Pinterest board, though, which makes it easy to see their lovely work. Check it out here > http://www.pinterest.com/DrawnInBelfast/

Sometimes, it's very easy to get in to a discussion about art & design and whether you like something, and it all being 'subjective' and about 'taste', or even, that you just don't quite 'understand the concept'. And, while that's true to a certain extent, when someone has SKILL under-pinning their design/concept/collection, their work is instantly stand-out. Whether it's your jam, or not. You can love the aesthetic of other work, perhaps even better, but when someone is good, they're GOOD.

Your time at Art School is about learning your Craft, and honing it. The real work of becoming an artist and designer only starts once you've left school, and begin to really flex your (conceptual) muscles... but, you need your muscles to have trained, and learned, in order for them to grow. 

I'm really glad to have visited the show and seen some work that I can whole heartedly say was GOOD. I think it would stand up against graduates from other schools, and that's what Belfast, and Northern Ireland needs. There are fantastic resources in this country for artists and designers - CraftNI, The Arts Council, InvestNI (to name a few) - so it's good to see the seeds of our design future planted and flourishing at this years show.

Finally - a note, and a plea to all graduates and staff at Belfast... PLEASE put out your business cards and keep them topped up, or centrally organise them to be left with whomever is manning your department. You've worked too long and too hard to miss out on opportunities when people visit and might wish to contact you. There were several people whose work we loved but had no way of contacting.

Overall, good job Belfast! And a huge congratulations to the Graduates of 2014!!

Please visit if you can! Degree Show at Belfast School of Art is on until the 14th, so you can still catch it tomorrow.