On a balmy day by the London canal, cherry blossoms blowing in through the window at community art studio Stour Space in Hackney Wick, we met to shoot more styles for Altshop’s online festival clothing store.
I feel blessed to work with four beautiful, gifted and strong women, horse-drawn folk singer from Derby Robyn Wallis Johnson, self-proffessed Gelfling-a-like Charlie Bond, fashion student Emma Parry and illustrator and would-be tattoo artist Chelly Surrell.
Some of you may recognise Robyn from some of our photos when she had pink dreads. Since then, she’s crowd-funded an album of songs, been on the road with a horse-drawn solar-power stage show and settled firmly into van life. She has the singing voice of a angel jilted at the altar and a captivating presence – after our last photoshoot she sat on top of a nearby narrowboat with her guitar and lulled a flock of rowdy boaters into a starry-eyed stupor. Great to see you again, Robyn, happy travels.
I first met Actor Charlie at 3 Wishes Fairy Festival in Cornwall, where she was wearing the most stunning fairy ballgown complete with wings. When I found out she was local, I just had to ask her if she would come and model for Altshop and was delighted when she agreed. Amazing energy, great fun and what a talent! Good luck with the release of King Lear in September, Charlie.
Emma moved to Hackney Wick to be involved in it’s vibrant artists’ community and is studying fashion. She uses baggy, oversized cuts in her clothing and innovative ways to drape beautiful, pastel-colour fabric over the human form. I look forward to working and connecting with her more in the future – I love her style, her determination and her gentle ways and have already fallen in love with the clothing she makes by hand.
What a delight to work with Chelly again after so many months. I’m absolutely delighted and very excited to hear that she’ll be training as a tattoo artist and, after she qualifies in illustration very soon, will be taking up a place in a studio and learning the ropes. What an exciting time ahead for you – I cannot think of anything that would suit your drawing style better than INK!!! Keep a steady hand and a steady heart and you will soar. Next time I see you, I will be keeping an eye out for your very own first tattoo, the seashell that will mark the beginning of your journey. Such a mermaid!
Thank you, sisters, for making work such fun.
Keep your eye on the shop as the new styles are added to our shop over the coming few weeks.