Saturday 9th March
Time: 10am - 4pm
Location: Elements Kitchens Showroom, RG30 1EA
Booking: Use the contact button or email Maria Lloyd to confirm your place*
Please note: page regularly updated with new participants and activities. Talks schedule uploaded soon.
Event Summary
This event explores three core questions:
1 . How important are global trends and fashions when it comes to everyday and local designs?
2 . To what extent should we keep up-to-date with the latest designs?
3 . How can we balance 'global' with 'local' designs?
Who is the event for?
Anyone interested in...fashion and design trends (enthusiasts, beginner- professional designers);
learning how to adapt trends for their own personal or business use;
design thought-leadership debate to explore the influence of, and the direction of, design trends.
RECENTLY ADDED: Models will be displaying clothing items from Justine & Maddy, Weartwo. You will even have an opportunity to try them yourself.
What to expect
- 1. Elements Kitchens designers will display and discuss kitchen designs that they've done influenced by
- Berlin, London and Milan fashion weeks in February.
- 2. Sarah Clements from our partner, The Little Greene Paint Company, will be on hand to display Little Greene's latest designs and discuss how their collections are influenced by global design trends.
- 3. Local interior designers will be displaying their work, doing workshops and participating in our series of talks: Joanna Harvey, Kelly Thorne, and Holly Scott.
- 4. Millinery designer, Adrienne Henry, will display some of her beautiful hat and fascinator designs and lead taster fascinator workshops.
- 5. Reading-based personal stylist, Sarah van Dort, Ab Fab Image, will offer advice on how to find your dress style.
- 6. Local fashion photographer Gabriele Swift, Gabriele Swift Photography, will have small photography taster workshops, and discuss different photography trends.
- 7. Local silversmith Li-Sheng Cheng. Li-Sheng will be displaying and discussing a couple of her jewellery pieces.
- 8. Models will be walking around the showroom displaying beautiful clothing, designed by fashion designers Justine and Maddy, weartwo.
1. Kitchen design
Why are design trends important for kitchens?
This may seem counter-intuitive when kitchens, especially high-quality kitchens, can last for decades. However, staying up to date with the latest trends and developments is important for all good designers.
As Gina, one of Elements' Kitchens senior designers, says: "It's important to look for inspiration to ensure that your designs stay fresh, but you then need to adapt these ideas to a customer's lifestyle and interests."
Kitchen design concepts inspired by the Berlin, London, and Milan February 2024 fashion weeks will be displayed, showing how global influences can be adapted to inspire kitchen designs that will last decades. Two of our designers, Paul and Jansen, will also be present at the event to discuss the designs and give a talk on the relevance of 'fast fashion' to long-term designs.
2. Sarah Clements, The Little Greene Paint Company
Little Greene are an independent, family-run, paint manufacturer, committed to the socially and environmentally responsible production of high-quality paints and wallpapers.
They are also a partner of the National Trust. Since the beginning of 2018, in collaboration with their curators and conservators, an extensive paint research project has been undertaken in National Trust houses and gardens to find original colours, and to tell the stories of the people who first enjoyed them.
Sarah Clements, Account Manager at Little Greene, will be on hand to show their latest paint and wallpaper ranges, and discuss how fashion influences the development of paint and wallpaper.
3. Interior designers
Global design trends can be important to interior designers, depending on their approach and the needs of their clients.
At this event, three local designers share their invaluable insights on balancing the global with the local, ensuring their designs not only reflect the latest trends but also retain their unique cultural touch.
This is your chance to witness diverse perspectives, engage with design thought leaders, and gain crucial insights that will elevate your own understanding of the design landscape.
Holly will help you to find your personal design style with a quiz.
Joanna will display a range of her beautiful rejuvenated pieces and talk about how to approach design in a sustainable way, and the importance of storytelling in design.
Kelly will be reiterating the importance of looking for Inspiration with what we readily have access to, not just to keep up with trends but to provoke ideas that we may not have otherwise considered, then to adapt & tweak them to suit the end users preferred style, space & lifestyle. She will talk about the natural Interior Design process & the importance of creating mood boards to not only help define your style but to collate a vision for your designs from the start.
Holly Scott
Holly Scott Interior Design
An award-winning interior designer in Oxfordshire, with years of experience in dressing windows and interiors for Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, Liberty’s, Harrods and Ralph Lauren.
I believe that happy homes make happy people and I offer bespoke interior design services from concept to completion or my online course Happy Home Design, for those who would like to learn how to design and create their dream home themselves with help and support along the way.
Joanna Harvey
Sabella Interiors
Joanna originally trained in curtain-making and drapery with best-selling author and curtain maker Lady Caroline Wrey, and received expert tuition in skilled and detailed sewing from Sue Hazell.
Recently nominated in the Best Residential Interior Design category in The Northwest, Joanna believes that her team’s absolute commitment to every project, from start to finish, is key to their success.
Kelly Thorne
Morris Molloy Interior Design
Kelly originally started her career in shop design working for a large homeware company where she designed, implemented & managed 35 stores across the UK & Ireland, at the same time she studied Interior Design at Reading School of Art & Design, this naturally led to her wanting to gain experience working in residential design so she later embarked on working for some local (Oxfordshire & Berkshire) high-end Interior Designers. She states she is eternally grateful for the experience that she gained which later led to her having the confidence to open her own Interior Design studio -Morris Molloy Interior Design.
For Kelly, there is nothing more rewarding than helping people create a home or space that they not only LOVE but feel content living in or a business premises that reaches its full potential because it has been properly thought through from the initial brief to the final installation.
4. Adrienne Henry, Adrienne Henry Millinery
Adrienne designs and hand-makes a wide range of hats for all occasions including weddings, bridal, Royal Ascot, Ladies Day at the races, vintage events, graduations and parties. She has a boutique shop in the heart of Reading, we work with you to create the perfect shape, size and colour of hat or headpiece to complement your outfit.
Adrienne also offers hat and fascinator workshops. She will be doing a demonstration of her fascinator workshop at the event, so you can find out more about the craft and quiz her on her extensive expertise.
5. Sarah van Dort, Ab Fab Image
Sarah is an award winning Colour and Image Consultant and Personal Stylist, who is passionate about helping women and men feel the best they can every day.
She has a passion for fashion, a keen eye for style and by using tried and tested colour and style analysis, she helps people of any age, size, shape, colour or personality to make this feeling a reality.
At the event, models will display different outfits and Sarah will discuss how she went about styling the models and how you can let fashion trends guide you rather than confuse you. She will also provide tips on how you can achieve your own transformation and find your style, which will increase your confidence and let you take control of your wardrobe.
6. Gabriele Swift, Gabriele Swift Photography
Storytelling is at the core of Gabriele's photography. She loves working with camera shy business owners and to explore their 'why'. Through her lens, she captures the essence of the brand and tells the story in a natural eye-catching way.
For Gabriele, taking photographs is all about the awareness of the perfect moment and the creation of images which show the real you, unveil authenticity, foster confidence.
At the event, Gabriele will be sharing her expertise on how to take those important photos that focus on storytelling (The in between shots you need while out and about) . Her mini workshop will touch on how to incorporate trends and styles within your images.
7. Li-Sheng Cheng
Li-Sheng is a silversmith, based in Caversham. Initially at Kent Institute of Art & Design, and then at Sheffield Hallam University.
Alongside her work as a silversmith, Li-Sheng also has an interest in repairing jewellery and learning about old jewellery-making skills.
At the event, Li-Sheng will be displaying and discussing a couple of her jewellery pieces designed around the theme of nature.
8. Justine and Maddy, Wear Two
As stylists, Justine and Maddy have had the privilege of helping women choose what to wear for over 20 years. They saw it as a privilege being privy to all sorts of thoughts and feelings clients have about body shape and image as well as their wardrobe and clothing dilemmas. This in-depth understanding was the cornerstone of weartwo and still informs everything they do.
They have always subscribed to the principle of buying fewer items that you want to wear more, and have long harboured ambitions to design and produce their own garments, ones that will be the go-to, wear over and over, couldn’t do without pieces that will stand the test of time.
At the event, models will be walking around the showroom displaying their beautiful pieces. You will have an opportunity to speak to the models about how they feel, and even try the clothes on yourself.
