C + C do Altrincham Market Sunday 19th March

Market House, food hall at Altrincham Market. Photo courtesy of Altrincham Market.

We are very excited to be taking a stall at this iconic market on various Sundays of the month 10am - 4pm. check dates in the Makers Markets section for updates. Alty Market was voted the 'Best Market' in the Observer Food Monthly Award Winners in 2015 . What better way to spend a weekend mulling over the eclectic mix of craft + designer wares, alongside plant + flora stalls + vintage + wonderful local food + regional brewed ales. This European style one stop shop + eat + drink emporium brings people from across the northwest. It all stands under a beautiful grade II listed 19th Century covered market. In the words of the markets contemporary day founder, Nick Johnson. 'Passionately regional, we are a celebration of the identity + culture of England's northwest in an age where identity is being constantly eroded in the hands of the corporate obsessed with brand'  Says it all really, come and have a look and say hello, you'll love it . Greenwood st + Altrincham + WA14 1SA www.altrinchammarket.co.uk

Setting out our stall at Altrincham market, March 2017.

Spring is springing

Busy times here, styling up the new season goods for photo shoots galore, i love this element of the business, making the wares look as covetable as they are in the flesh. The items have hit the store this week at Cup + Cloth, lovely stuff to edit into your homes for spring. Glassware to die for modular + stackable vases in beaut shades of smokiness, such a lovely collection allowing you to indulge your inner creative flower arranging passion! Gold baby faces have also joined the ranks, cute lil' faces handy for storing the little things in life or play about with small plants and hair styles! Plants + flowers figure big time this season + show them off in our new vessels in dotty crackled glaze fit for any urban jungle. Hope you like the new edit as much as we did hunting them down. Check them out in the SOURCED section in store.

Seven Seventeen at Cup +Cloth

How chuffed were we at the C + C  headquarters when we came across Seven Seventeen. Wonderfully sumptuous English made candles without the price tag of other luxury candleware brands.  Located on the Sussex coast, longtime friends collective Naomi + Sarah share careers in interior journalism + motherhood and have come up with their unique concept.  Fine quality oils + natural wax that burns cleanly and throws out the scents all produced here in Blighty. If this wasn't enough, they donate £1 for every candle sold to the worthwhile charity PANDAS + helping women suffering from pre + post natal illnesses . Win win we say, go check the sublime scented beauts out in the Made section of the store. 

Customer shots

A great shot here sent to us by another happy customer, the iconic willow pattern bangle was upcycled from a teacup. Created by Stay Gold Mary Rose, it sits so well with the indigo hues of the ceramics. Find these lovelies in the Made section of the store. 

Kara Leigh Ford joins the mix

We have a new designer + maker joining us at Cup + Cloth, Kara Leigh Ford with her gorgeous ceramics. The spoons are to die for, earthy + rustic with the most beautiful coloured glazes honestly placed. Her beautiful pieces are fit for purpose and made to be used, they are robust and tactile so perfect for tea + coffee stirring + getting the jam out + skittering the spices. We hope you love them as much as we do!

New designers join the C + C store

Scout Editions

photo courtesy of Scout Editions

We are most excited to announce 2 new UK designer + makers have joined us here at Cup + Cloth.  Scout Editions see above, are brother and sister duo Pui and Wai who share a love of travel + art + design + folklore, this is evident in the gorgeous goods they create. Wherever possible they try their best to create products in the UK, also using recycled materials and printing with vegetable + water based inks. The gorgeous little pins we have sourced from them are the cutest badges you could ever find. See them in the MADE section in the store.

photo courtesy of StayGoldMaryRose.

StayGoldMaryRose is a collection of work by UK designer Abigail Mary Rose Clark. The bone china + porcelain is sourced from the UK's biggest china manufactures as seconds + damaged goods. she strongly believes in upcycling + reusing beautiful objects that have outlived their original purpose. See her lovely china bangles, both nostalgic + modern in the MADE section of the store.

Happy 2017

Well I don't know about you but I love the start of a new year,  yes I'm one of those weird ones! Reason 1. after the deed of taking down the Christmas decs, rooms looks new and clean, without even picking up a paint brush! 2. my birthday is in February so the next party will be here before you know it. 3. you can start to actually plan your next holiday for real. 4. However the main reason is..... I begin the new spring/summer edit on the Cup + Cloth wares, lots of fresh exciting goods coming your way. StayGoldMaryRose will be joining the store with her wonderful jewellery collection using reclaimed china. A new ceramicist will also join the group, the gorgeous glazed spoons are to die for. So watch this space as spring is just around the corner! 

a Porto pic from last years holiday... gorgeous paper lanterns in a Ribeira alleyway.  Start planning your next trip for 2017

customer shots

nice pic here of one of our Copper + Solder concrete marbled candle holders, looking good in its new home in London.

Totem

How great does the gorgeous Totem key fob by Holm look in this still motion shot.

Totem key fob available in our MADE section.

photo courtesy: Adam Riozzi , set stylist: Angie Kirk

The Skinny

Cup + Cloth have been featured in the latest issue of The Skinny magazine Nov/Dec.

Another accolade for us to be included in such a high regarded print. The article covers 'local' independent northern shops, providing inspiring gift ideas for Christmas and all year round. The Skinny brings to you engaging independent journalism, covering everything from arts and culture, fashion, music, bars and restaurants. Articles are honest, well informed and curious. All this for free too, either read digitally or pick up your copy from many shops and bars around Manchester and Liverpool. www.theskinny.co.uk

www.theskinny.co.uk

Elle Decoration

How super chuffed were we at the Cup + Cloth headquarters when we were featured in the style bible Elle Decoration's online magazine, THE 23 BEST ONLINE HOMEWARE STORES. A big moment for us, our hard work over the last 18 months is paying off and how nice to get such recognition from such a high regarded interiors mag, thanks for the love ED! www.elledecoration.co.uk/news/the-23-best-online-homeware-shops/

Perfect Porto

What a wonderful city Porto is, our chosen destination for this years time out, we arrived and immediately fell in love with it. This charming city combines the best of old and new, you will find stunning 18th century architecture set amongst a laid back vibe. The city is very walkable with different areas of cobbled streets, ancient squares, scroll work balconies adorned with flowers. Tiled front building were wonderful and varied, as was the excellent food and wine. Porto is THE perfect city, with its ancient history, uber cool shops and galleries, you won't want to leave. We did manage to drag ourselves away for a few trips out, taking trains to Coimbra a beautiful ancient University city, a smaller city to explore in a day. The Peneda Geres is a national Park that's wild and beautiful and offers a respite to city living, a train to the ancient city of Braga ( also worth a visit ) and then a bus into the park was easy and accessible, amazing walking and rural landscapes to die for, definitely worth the trip.  www.independent.co.uk/travel/paris-shopping-portugal-hotels-fashion-restuarants-a7329056.html www.localporto.com  

A creatives dream...Porto is Tile heaven

Crochet installations in Coimbra, a one hour train trip south of Porto.

Great street imagery. Porto

I love how this perfect green doors pop of colour draws your eye down this ancient granite corridor. World renowned and Pritzkter award winning Portuguese architect Eduardo Souto de Moura designed the transformation of this beautiful Pousada at Santa Maria do Bouro Amares in the Peneda Geres national park, just 2 hours out of Porto. A wonderful reason to leave the city for a day trip.

Tiles I purchased on my trip, one very old and one not so old, sitting well next to the mid-century pottery and smokey vase.

Treacle Market

Macclesfield, my home town is famous for a few things, including Silk manufacturing, the band Joy Division and more recently Treacle Market, the towns artisan monthly market. A total of 150 stalls selling wonderful local fare, offering amazing food and drink, crafts and vintage. Where designers and makers come together, selling to people from near and far. Treacle has grown into a hugely successful monthly event, its on the last Sunday of each month and definitely worth a visit. Cup + Cloth were very excited to take a stall and show and sell our products to the town and its visitors, what a wonderful day it was too, a bustling market with lots of lovely people, the sun shone and we had a blast. The day was a brilliant opportunity to reach out to the local townspeople and share what we are about. We met new customers, sold some nice things to nice people and generally had a really nice time. Get it in your diaries for a visit next time your wondering what to do on a weekend (last Sunday of the month) www.treaclemarket.co.uk

New Designers

New Designers is the UK's most important event for emerging designers from our countries universities and colleges. Its a vital launch pad into the worlds design industries and is the platform for bringing new design and commerce together. This was my first visit to ND and I was blown away at the standard of work on show. Furniture, Textiles, Illustration, Product Design amongst the disciplines to see and I spent hours mulling over the products and meeting the designers. I have tried to bring you, in my opinion some of the most striking and exciting products on show. Cup + Cloth will keep a close eye on the journey of these creators and hopefully stock some of the products shown in the photos below. Keep an eye out for future collaborations. If your down London Town next July 2017, make sure you head to the next show and see first hand our future design talent of the world.  www.newdesigners.com

Gorgeous sublime black + brass table lamp by Elitsa Boneva, a future classic if ever there was one! www.elitsabboneva.squarespace.com

Kasia Mackowiak has produced these gorgeous leather hide pendant lights. The tooled detailing she has applied is so lovely, using traditional crafts in a modern way really works, they are truly lovely! www.kasiamackowiak.co.uk

Nottingham Trent University show a selection of furniture, a strong collection of well designed pieces. The entrance bench Noah, in the background is lovely by Temitope Edun, made in white ash is perfect for perching whilst its Nordic inspired minimal design provides a stylish look for any lucky hallway. Temi is certainly a future designer to watch! www.t.edun@hotmail.com

Sitting in the foreground is a wonderful example of a dining chair by Elizabeth Andrews. Experimenting with materials which contrast, she pushes our perception of the norm, American white oak is juxtaposed with white woven Corian ,  providing a very comfortable experience! elizabethandrews.eaa@gmail.com  

Sarah Fennell showing at ND's  One Year On is an exciting textile designer who uses traditional screen printing methods in an untraditional way. She uses paper as the resistant to develop the shapes, layering the design as she goes. The colours she creates are to die for, muted brights on natural slubbie fabrics. Very inspirational work! www.sarahfennell.co.uk

Examples of various pieces from Kingston University.

Examples of more future classics.

More from Kingston, I love this trio of tables, the blue powder coated base gives a great geometric shape as it hits the floor.

Tremendous bench by Maddie Lamont from Northumbria University, the way she has worked the seat to its polished beauty, its dip in and out to the rawness of the wood is so wonderful. The super clean black metal base juxtaposes beautifully. A forever and ever piece!  

customer shots

We are very grateful for all you lovely folk buying our goods from the Cup + Cloth store, its much appreciated. So we were super chuffed when one of our first customers sent us a pic of their new C + C item in its new home. This set a precedent and more shots came our way, so I will include any shots of our products on the blog as I get them, keep them coming....... Thanks for the love! 

Copper + Solders marbled concrete candle holder looks sublime in its new London home......how lovely!

Glad to see our cute canvas totes are fit for purpose whilst looking super stylish. Thanks to Emma for sending in this photo.

Well how fine do these stacking utility chairs look in this great Manchester space! the chairs originate from a Liverpool Social club and fit perfectly in this new home...

Macramé hanger by Cup + Cloth looking at home here in this fine Manchester loft space, keeping good company with this wonderful urban jungle.

Here's a lovely pic of our wonderful Moroccan pom pom blanket in lime + fuchsia, looking good in this Devonshire garden. What came first... the bench or the blanket?.... a match made in Devon!

Great to see this Cup + Cloth chestnut key fob fit for purpose, here worn by this lovely customer who sent us this shot! Lads... keep your keys safe, hook them onto your belt loops and slip into y' pocket. Job done!

Great shot of a Cup + Cloth cardholder here with Queeny peeking out, check out the gorgeous patina development on the chestnut leather too. Thanks to the guy for sending us this pic, nice to see it in its new place.

Vintage spotty vase now resides in West London.

This pair of African print cushions looking fine on this gorgeous day bed.

Mid-century stainless steel candle holders working the beeswax candles here!

African cushion sitting well in this uber gorgeous sitting room.

The mid-century midwinter jug + bowl set looks happy here.

Little donkey seba ring holder loving his new place.

'White edition' candle holder by the wonderful Copper + Solder sitting nicely on the stone shelf, next to the naked lady Eve!

laurence brand adds to the list

Laurence Brand and his sublime wooden + brass vessels

Laurence Brand's beautifully handcrafted wooden vessels are now available at Cup + Cloth.

He is a designer + maker based in Lancashire, he strives to create elegant + refined objects for the home, made primarily from fine native hardwoods. Laurence enjoys engaging with the making process as much as possible, often starting with a hand felled tree and finishing with a beautiful polished product. Though its a laborious, time consuming way of working its incredibly satisfying. Usually pairing wood with complementary materials such as brass and leather his products are stunning. His wonderful wooden wares can be found on the MADE section of the store. 

Laurence Brand working in his studio

copper + solder joins the store

We are very pleased to announce that we have a new designer + maker joining us at Cup + Cloth. Copper + Solder is Katie's creation based in the Midlands. She sources quality materials to ensure the hand made goods are sturdy and fit for purpose. Concrete and copper figure big time, a great combination of colour and texture we reckon. Check her great candle holders out in the MADE section in the store. 

degree show - nottingham trent university

So its that time of year, Degree Show time, my favourite thing to do!

I was lucky enough to be in Nottingham to view the culmination of 3 hard years work in various Design studies at NTU, and what a brilliant show it was, such talent and diversity of projects. I would highly recommend you go check it out if you are Nottingham way. In particular  the BA Product Design, BA Product + Furniture, BA Decorative Arts and Ba Textiles.       www.ntu.ac.uk

BA Hons Product Design. Seek out the sublime leather desk accessories HIDE, that encourages user development and emotional attachment.                   

 Geno Sharpe    geno_g_sharpe@Hotmail.com

The Decorative Arts section of the show, 53 Degrees is a collection of wonderful work from new makers engaging with innovative techniques, traditional craftsmanship and expert precision. Some of the work was so beautiful, truly outstanding and people to watch in the near future.

BA Decorative Arts. Beautiful use of layering mixed media materials, shapes are inspired by natural scenery, such as mountains + sunsets + sea + rocks.                                                                                 

Ashley Luk Yu Hei   ashlukofficial@gmail.com

BA Decorative Arts. Sublime beauty in this collaboration of materials, a response to architecture, creating + interactive jewellery + vessels.                                                                                                           

Becky Dennis. beckyjdennis@Hotmail.com

BA Decorative Arts. InKeeping is a collection of food preserving jars,  provoking mindfulness of food waste and encouraging food preservation. What's not to love with these gorgeous vessels!

Maia Hellawell               maia.hellwell@gmail.com

cup + cloth is born

De Young Museum San Francisco.

Our Story

When Habitat finally closed its Manchester doors in 2011 it was a sad day for all the interior obsessed masses. It was one of the cities last remaining interior stores, having previously lost Heals and Skandium in Selfridges years before. The suburbs were well represented with great interior independents putting the city centre to shame. Hence this was the driving force for us to set up our online store Cup + Cloth. Deciding to start a store on line as opposed to a bricks and mortar shop to reach out to a wider audience (pop ups may be a future project). We are very excited about this new venture we're embarking on and hope you like what we bring to you!

I have always shared an affinity with Manchester, starting my design career as a clothes designer in the city, setting up the independent label Britain with a colleague in the 1980's . Enjoying Manchester during one of its greatest fashion and club scenes was amazing and to be involved amongst that entrepreneurial movement was a special time to behold. Unfortunately the Manchester bomb hit in the late 90's which sadly the business never recovered ( that's another story )

However on the rebound I set up another label called Trip Fontaine, it was extremely successful and provided me with a couple of very exciting years making and customising T-shirts and jeans for great independents around the UK and USA, gaining great press coverage whilst selling my clothes to fashion editors and iconic folk of the time. All this whilst I embarked on a degree course studying Printed Textiles at Manchester school of Art www.artdes.mmu.ac.uk . Gaining a career in Textile Design, working in one of the countries last remaining Silk Mills in Macclesfield. Making 'things' has never left me, along with visiting craft events like the Great Northern Contemporary Craft Show www.greatnorthernevents.co.uk in Manchester and Origins in London www.craftcouncil.org.uk , has provided a constant source of inspiration. I was lucky to visit San Francisco last year, a vibrant, cultural mecca, full of small + independent designer + maker stores, established by people doing what they love. On my return I knew I wanted to create something equally inspiring and Cup + Cloth was born.

Creative mood boards in the Cup + Cloth headquarters.

Our aim is to buy, whenever possible, from Northern independent designers + makers and to support our local creators. Sourcing new talent from the nearby Universities at the degree shows is always our first port of call. The excitement of seeking out new talent and inspirational wares is what Cup + Cloth is about. We have discovered wonderful designer goods from visiting these shows. The rest of the UK will also be explored to seek out new finds, to join the carefully curated selection of home produced goods and are categorised in the Made section of the store.

Designers

Joe Hartley

Amongst our Northern designer + makers, we would like to introduce to you Joe Hartley and his wonderfully pure ceramics produced from his Manchester studio. He graduated from MMU in 2012 and went on to win the prestigious New Designer of the year, his feet have not touched the floor since.  When Joe isn’t throwing beautifully turned vessels you will find him with the arts based collective Makers Dozen and project managing the Pilcrow Pub project www.thepilcrowpub.com

Cup + Cloth is honoured to work with such a talented guy, his range of sublime and honest ceramics can be found in our MADE section of the store.

Joe Hartley in his studio. Photo courtesy of Rob Evens.