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Back to School for Creatives - With Lucy Alice Designs
As part of our series, the Folkestone Status speaks to new start-ups in Folkestone that met each other when they went back to school.
The School for Creative Start-ups was founded four years ago by the Californian 'dragon' Doug Richard, two years after the orginal school began. The year-long course is part-time and worth £3,500, but last year, Kent County Council fully funded 100 places for the Folkestone course which was available to Kent residents.
Lucy Alice in her studio
Jewellery and cards by Lucy Alice Designs
Lucy Alice Designs
I meet another of the School's graduates at her studio in Tontine Street, one of five studios.
All of the circumstances for Lucy Alice to become a full-time designer have seemed to fall into place with a little dose of fate.
Living in West Sussex, Lucy met her husband (who lived in Folkestone) when she was studying Textiles and surface design at university: “I only moved here a couple of years ago and found this studio with the Creative Foundation. There is not a lot of this sort of thing anywhere else in the country. I have looked.”
Launching her business in September 2012, Lucy became pregnant with her daughter and hearing about the free places on the School for Creative Start-ups, she went for an interview when she was 6-7 months: “I think they thought I was mad but I wanted to do the course when I was on maternity leave so that I didn’t have to go back to my part-time job, it all just seemed to come together.
“We only met up one day a month and this is me now, full-time in the studio. The course did for me what I aimed for it to so.”
For Lucy the School for Creative Start-ups has given her confidence in the decision she was already making along with making new ones: “It has also given me focus and a network. It can be lonely being self-employed and working on your own but it is like almost having work colleagues behind you. “
The graduate show in London for the students; ‘The Make Good Festival’ was also a successful retail experience for Lucy.
Lucy’s jewellery and cards are stocked in Anecdotes in Folkestone, shops in Margate and Deal and all over the country. Opposite her desk is a map of the UK with red stickers pinpointing where she sells her stock.
The designers aim is to now, put red dots on new locations.
www.lucyalicedesigns.co.uk
info@lucyalicedesigns.co.uk
Producing contemporary jewellery, gifts and paper goods, Lucy's designs are handmade using sustainably sourced and reclaimed materials.
With delicate geometrics and a fresh colour palette you will find illustrations of animals ranging from a Dachshund to birds including peacocks and robins.
Lucy's jewellery is made using laser cut laminate and wood veneer which has sourced from local companies offcuts.
Sustainably sourced jewellery
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