Design of the times is all above board

13 February 2013 - 03:08 By unknown
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Accessories don't just make or break an outfit - they are also a great way for a woman to show off her personality.

This is something designer Katherine-Mary Pichulik understands well, saying her rope neckpieces and accessories - showcased by US singer Solange Knowles on the cover of ELLE magazine - are "forbold, brave women".

The accessories Pichulik makes are as interesting as the space in which they are made.

Her Woodstock Exchange, Cape Town studio has as much creative inspiration within it as it does outside it.

"There is a flow of inspiring, creative people moving in and out of this block," she says.

What are her favourite things about where the space is situated?

"The call to prayer I can hear from the mosque on the corner, the bright light that envelopes my studio, the smell of sea and the view of the city."

Drawing supplies and multicoloured craft tools sit atop a wooden table and a window sill; several rope necklaces are hung up against the white walls.

Says Pichulik: "[I love] being surrounded by my materials and tools and endless possibilities."

She is inspired by "still and moving images, travelling, magazines, exhibitions, the way people curate their private spaces and appearances everyday, [and] vulnerable and bizarre moments".

Some of this inspiration is captured on the mood board adorning the wall. It is populated with catwalk pictures taken from magazines, vintage portraits, posters and notes, with one featuring the words "Think for yourself".

Pichulik says: "[The mood board is] a place where I can gather found visual information that is seemingly disconnected and start to create stories."

Pichulik moved into her studio four months ago and says she would like to turn it into her ideal space, which she describes as featuring "an eclectic mix of old family gems of yellow wood tables alongside new design elements such as light fixtures and innovative storage and architectural chairs". - Staff reporter

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