Last week we had the pleasure of a visit by photographer and stylist Evie Johnstone. She took a few snaps of our founder and designer Vicki Jones at work in the studio and our brand new shop in Newquay.
Vicki’s design process begins at the mood board. She then moves into a sketch book, playing with ideas, drawings, designs, prints, patterns and techniques. Final designs are then exposed onto silk screens and printed onto Econyl lycra (made from regenerated ocean plastic) ready for production into garments. All sand&palm garments are manufactured in the studio in Newquay, which is situated just behind the new shop.
New S19 designs & prints in production!
And what about this new shop??
Vicki explains. “we are a brand new boutique in the heart of Newquay, set up as a space to showcase my sustainable swim and surf wear brand sand&palm, my mum’s organic clothing +boundaries, as well as other design led ethical clothing and lifestyle brands. Sometimes I have to pinch myself as having a shop is literally a dream come true! I feel so fortunate and grateful to have had this opportunity and I could not have done it without the wonderful Jacob Smith and his carpentry skills, and the support from my mum Liz too.
I design and make the swimwear myself - the fabric is dyed and screen printed in the sand&palm studio behind the shop. Because the products are completely unique, I wanted to create a space for people to come to see the products physically, to try them on and talk to the maker.
I studied a postgraduate degree in swimwear design in Barcelona (after working as a textile and print designer for 9 years), and I’ve take much inspiration from the stylish ateliers you find all over the old town there, as well as lots of time spent surfing and exploring in southern Portugal. The building is reminiscent of a Portuguese beach hut, white with a wooden clad, pitched ceiling, combined with industrial elements you find in Barcelona; a copper rail, distressed plastered wall, concrete floor, minimal, and softened with lush palms and monsteras. We also have an outside decked area with basket chairs to relax and enjoy the evening sun.
My mum Liz is also an artist and fashion designer and so the main focus is on hers and my projects, but we also wanted a careful selection of eco and ethical brands to compliment ours. We currently have in store Marazul ethical clothing, Basho organic facial oils made in Falmouth, Catch the Sunrise eco jewellery, Zed Clay natural zinc sublock, Sirene ocean focused journal made from algae paper & Majestic Disorder, an arts and cultural delight.
The space is unique in Newquay, and we have already hosted a Surfgirl magazine launch event. We hope to use the space for more community events, film screening, talks and discussions about important issues concerning lifestyle, the environment, health and wellness, so watch this space! Please get in touch if you are interested in using the space for your own event.
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We are open Wednesdays to Saturdays 10-6pm, so please pop in and say hi, have a browse of our collection and other brands, and if you ask Vicki nicely, she may give you a studio tour too!
You can find us at 5 Wesley Yard, Newquay, TR7 1LB.
A HUGE thank you to Evie Johnstone for the visit and the beautiful photos!
