Photos from yesterdays Christmas market...

Despite yesterdays weather... we had a great turn out of stall holders and visitors alike!! Just under 600 visitors throughout the day, lots of sales were made and commissions taken, we were all happy snow bunnies.

If you missed yesterdays market you still have our other market to look forward to this weekend. Our launch market at The Holy Biscuit in Newcastle, celebrates the launch of Designers Marketplace Bi-Monthly partnership with The Biscuit Factory.

The Holy Biscuit, Saturday 4th december, 11am-4pm. £1 entry. 

GUEST BLOGGER : KIM TILLYER : WITCH MOUNTAIN

Long time follower but first time seller Kim Tillyer, will be showcasing her exquisite textile designs at our Christmas market in two weeks! Witchmountain explores various stages of textile design from visual studies through to final selling products such as womens and childrens clothing and accessories to card, gift and stationary. We catch up with Kim to find out more about Witchmountain.

Witchmountain is a mythical land in the middle of the North York Moors. Here, Kim lives and works in a cluttered kitchen with an endless supply of coffee,a temperamental wood burning stove, two teenage children and a ragged assortment of animals.

After graduating from Cleveland College of Art and Design in  2008,with a first in Textiles and Surface Design, Kim worked as a freelance designer selling printed and embroidered designs for childrenswear in both America and Japan. "Producing up to 6 hand embroidered garment shapes a week was a steep learning curve after college and I found it hard to follow the very commercial trends that my agent demanded.No matter how hard I tried my work was always a little quirky and off center!"


After some success selling framed work including the "Snow Bear" (which is now available as a greetings card from her Etsy shop) friends and relations gave this good advice "Do what you love because that really shows in the end result" .Drawings and textile pieces have been exhibited at various galleries in the North East and are currently at the Zillah Bell Gallery in Thirsk . Favorite imagery includes birds, foliage and her trademark bears which symbolize inner strength, safe travel and introspection. "I have a huge emotional and sentimental attachment to some of the work I produced in college and in the past year, which wasn't an easy one. I think the work tells a story and even if no one else knows that story it gives the pieces a bit of soul...if that doesn't sound too cheesy"

Recently, in preparation for the Designer's Marketplace and other events , Kim has been making a range of accessories, printed and embroidered clothing and some very very cute baby slippers. Each piece is printed and embroidered by hand and is therefore unique,individual and a total antidote to the highstreet and the tyranny of trends.


Despite a terrible snails pace broadband connection, Kim has been writing her blog ,Witchmountain, for almost three years now and finds it has helped her make and maintain connections with other creative people whilst living what can often seem a very remote and isolated existence. "I'm really looking forward to my first time as a seller at a Designer's Marketplace event. It'll also be a great chance to catch up with some old friends I haven't seen since college and some new ones I have only met online."

Visit:
http://witchmountain.wordpress.com/
http://kimtillyer.etsy.com/



GUEST BLOGGER : PAUL SID : RETREAT

Introducing Paul Sid and his uber hip tshirt brand Retreat. Retreat is a new recruit to Designers Marketplace and will be selling at our Middlesbrough Christmas market on Sunday 28th November. Paul tells us a little more about his brand and where the inspiration comes from!... 

Retreat is a fresh, innovative and ethical independent clothing brand formed in 2005. Influenced by all of creation and everyday life. Retreat is Bruce Lee and Chevy Chase starring in Animal House on your mom's old TV.

Graffiti, art, design and photography have also been a huge influence and not forgetting music. From Early Hip Hop pioneers like Kool Herc, Public Enemy, Run-DMC and the Beastie Boys, to British inspirational bands like Joy Division, New Order, The Stone Roses and other eclectic forms of music.

In the five years of the brands existance we have been luckily to have worked with some amazing artists from Vaughn Bode who has worked with brands such as Puma and Streetwear giants A Bathing Ape and US singer/songwriter/artist and all round legend Daniel Johnston who influenced the likes of Kurt Cobain.

Retreat sets itself apart by focusing on producing only the highest quality of hand printed designs. Focusing primarily on using environmentally friendly water-based and discharged inks for that ultra soft print. If you think your printed tees feel like a blob of rubber stuck on your chest, then Retreat is definitely not the brand you're wearing. By creating solid designs crossing genres and scenes, Retreat appeals to the sartorial savant looking for unique, exclusive prints in extremely limited numbers. With Retreat, individuality is everything.

http://www.retreatstore.com/



DM goes into partnership with The Biscuit Factory & Christmas launch event!

Designers Marketplace is happy to announce the exciting new opportunity of expanding our markets into Newcastle and moving into partnership with The Biscuit Factory. After the growing success and demand of our Middlesbrough based markets, we have been offered the opportunity of holding our markets on a bi-monthly basis in The Biscuit Factory’s new venue ‘The Holy Biscuit’.

As well as continuing to hold markets independently in Middlesbrough, The Holy Biscuit offers Designers Marketplace the chance of becoming a more regular event and reaching a wider audience for its members. The bi-monthly markets have been offered exclusivity to The Holy Biscuit, and will be held on a smaller scale in line with the size of venue. We will be hoping to present around 25 artists and designers at each event. Dates for our Middlesbrough markets next year are currently being finalised.

To celebrate the partnership of Designers Marketplace and The Biscuit Factory, we are holding our first celebratory launch event on Saturday 4th December from 11am – 4pm at The Holy Biscuit. Our regular art and design market invites the public to browse and buy from a diverse collection of high quality and contemporary merchandise such as art, fashion, accessories, prints, illustration, photography, textiles and interior products, minus gallery and boutique mark ups.

The Holy Biscuit, 1 Clarence Street, Newcastle. NE2 1YH.

20+ stalls. £1 Entry. 11am - 4pm.

Please note there is no card payment facilities inside the venue and children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult. For more info go to our Facebook group or fanpage or visit www.designersmarketplace.org.uk

Biggest market yet! 60 stalls SUNDAY 28TH NOVEMBER. Middlesbrough Town Hall

Our Christmas market is fast approaching! Less than 3 weeks away for our biggest market yet.

MIDDLESBROUGH TOWN HALL : Sunday 28th November : 11am – 4pm : £1 Entry

60 stalls selling bespoke one off products within fashion, art, photography, illustration, interior products, textiles and accessories!

Please note there has been achange of halls within the venue, we are now holding our Christmas market in Middlrsbrough Town Hall's main hall rather than our usual haunt of the crypt. Visiting Middlesbrough Town Hall’s grand and festive atmosphere, expect to see some old favourites as well as some new recruits.

We have Lianne Bell and Catherine Ball with beautiful hand crafted ceramics and jewellery, Kim Tillyer with her exquisite textile accessories and original art, the Boreal boys are back in town with great new wallet designs for men, Surface//Philia with bespoke interior products and decoration, Pond Edge with edgy fashion garments, Neil Millward and Charles Twist will be showing off their photography skills with local prints for sale.

We will have Christmas tunes and mulled wine at the bar ready!