Just before Christmas I attended a vintage craft fair in Chester. I hadn't ever been to something like this and was interested in the public obsession with vintage and handmade that has drifted into public consciousness over the years with the influence of celebrities and high street stores such as Topshop. I think that the idea of a "one off" piece of clothing or jewellery fascinates because it gives the wearer a sense of individuality and personality that cannot be attained by others.
In my design work I am interested in the juxtaposition between hand rendered and computer generated and the new trend for arts and craft that is acting as a back lash to modern technology. Do hand crafted items such as clothes or bespoke design work hold a higher value than those produced on the computer? This vintage fair certainly proved that home made was still increasing in popularity.
The fair itself was really eclectic and filled with great items with a quirky edge. I was really inspired by the creative packaging of some of the earrings; they had been stuck into playing cards which made them really visually attention grabbing amongst the rest of the items. It is quite a simple, yet effective idea. Another great example of recycling was found vintage wallpapers used notebook covers, shown in a photo below. I have a real interest in texture and print, the fair defiantly inspired me to start searching and scanning old textures to recycle them in a similar way to create a vintage effect.
