‘I like the idea of collaboration - it pushes you. It’s a richer experience’ - Frank Gehry
One comment we hear repeatedly is how surprised people are to find ‘real-life’ artists busily working away in the Voyage Maison warehouses. It is a rare treat to come across someone with a pencil or paintbrush in hand in an increasingly digital world. And yet, here at Voyage Maison, we host some of Scotland’s best designers and artists in house - a veritable hive of creative industry.
This means that when we meet passionate and like-minded designers, we can’t help but want to collaborate with them. So, when Deryck Walker, renowned Scottish designer, serendipitously stepped over our threshold, we were thrilled to enjoy a true meeting of minds. One thing led to another, and Voyage Maison x Deryck Walker came to be.
Driven by our desire to see our prints and fabrics being used in creative and innovative ways, we tasked Deryck with taking a handful of our interior fabrics to create a collection of garments. Within a few weeks, Deryck came back to the studio, frocks in hand. We are thrilled with what Deryck has created, and we are so looking forward to sharing the photoshoot with you. But first, we want to introduce the man himself, our creative collaborator, Deryck Walker.
Deryck, where are you from and tell me about your design journey?
Originally from Glasgow, I moved down to London to pursue a career in fashion design when I was about 17. After working with many young designers, I did a spell at Versace before coming back to Glasgow to set up my own label. Eventually, I moved back down to London. People began to take an interest in my work, and I sold my first collection to Comme Des Garcons, which was special. In 2008 I was invited to Harris Tweed, and I had a few fantastic years partnering with them and spending time up on Harris.
What was it like being up on Harris?
I adored being on Harris, everyone was so friendly, and I learnt a lot from the weavers. It was great to have been involved with the tweed revival and act as an ambassador for the industry; I even got to meet the Queen and go to Buckingham Palace for my involvement.
What impact did being on Harris have on you as a designer?
Quite a large one - If I am honest, my time on Harris with the weavers changed my perspective on design and making; I moved away from the fast and cyclical world of fashion.
I still loved being a ‘maker’, so I focused on interiors and bespoke pieces. I wanted to take a more thoughtful, considered and sustainable approach to making. I ended up doing an HND in restoration, so I learnt a lot about upholstery through that. This came in particularly useful when the first lockdown started as people’s appetite for upholstery grew exponentially - I suppose people were spending so much more time in their houses. So, my main focus has been on interiors - soft boutique furnishings over the last year or two. Now, I am more of a craftsman than a seasonal fashion designer - give me a piece of cloth, and I can work with it.
So how did you get involved with Voyage?
I was working on a project with a client who had asked me to do some interiors. We were in a fabric shop in Glasgow, and we couldn’t find what we wanted. The client mentioned they knew the team at Voyage, so I said, why don’t you call them? The next thing I knew, we were in the car on our way to the east end of Glasgow to look around the Voyage warehouses. I met Ian (company founder), who was so enthusiastic about the product and everything around him. As he was pulling out fabrics I mentioned that I used to make and design clothes. I was enchanted and amazed by it all. A few days later, I got a call from Voyage asking me to come in to discuss a potential collaboration.
To be continued...part 2 coming soon!
Keep an eye out on socials for a closer look at our collaboration with Deryck at, @voyage_maison. See more of Deryck's fabulous work at @deryckwalkerstudio
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