Drawn by Rhiannon is based in a studio in the North East of England.
From the initial hand drawing and digital print design, to the making of the final product, each process is completed by Rhiannon. This means that lots of care and attention goes into the final product and you know that it’s completely unique.
The fabric design process
“Every fabric I design begins with a hand drawing. Inspiration for a new print can strike at any time so I always carry a camera with me to photograph reference images to go on my studio wall. I like to use a range of different media when drawing including watercolours, pencils and fine-liners.
I’ve always loved drawing and illustrating but it wasn’t until I went to university that I discovered the process of designing a print. My first print collection was based on accessories, so I set about drawing, sketching, collaging and painting my favourite shoes and jewellery.
After many hours on photoshop cleaning up and tweaking my initial drawings (as well as countless tea breaks with chocolate teacakes and gingerbread), I eventually had my final line up. My first digital print collection was really fun to put together and I was super proud of myself. With a few digital print ranges under my belt, I took the leap of faith and finally ordered some fabrics with my designs on. When I saw the prints I’d drawn coming out of the huge fabric printer I was so excited – it was brilliant!
From then on I was hooked on designing and printing my ideas and creating unique products for the home. With my graduate collection as a basis, I opened Drawn by Rhiannon. Since then I’ve been drawing and designing every day and I love it! I’m always thinking of new print ranges I want to make and can’t wait to grow my shop with more original, quirky ideas.”
– Rhiannon
Let’s save the planet
Our planet is super important and Drawn by Rhiannon is committed to minimising the environmental impacts that come with running a business. Read on to see the steps that the studio is taking to help care for the planet.
Designed and handmade in the UK
This isn’t just some catchy tagline. Drawn by Rhiannon is committed to supporting British businesses and reducing transportation pollution. Because of this, keeping everything in the UK just makes sense. All lining fabrics, thread, and packaging supplies, plus some of the printed fabrics, are sourced within 12 miles of Drawn by Rhiannon HQ. Other haberdashery essentials such as zips and D-rings are currently sourced from Birmingham. Ongoing research is being carried out to find a more local supplier for these. And of course, everything is handmade by Rhiannon in her studio in Newcastle Upon Tyne which is powered by 100% renewable energy.
Eco friendly fabric printing
Once the fabric has been designed by Rhiannon, the files are sent to a fabric printing company in London. The cotton fabric is printed using digital pigment inks. This process of printing requires no water and uses around 95% less energy than screen printing. There is virtually no ink waste and no soapy residues from production. All this helps to reduce the environmental impact and the print quality is fantastic with fab vibrant colours!
Reusable products
As well as implementing eco-friendly policies in the running of the business, Drawn by Rhiannon wants to encourage other people to think in a more sustainable way too. Through the eco range of reusable products, Drawn by Rhiannon is offering simple changes that will drastically reduce plastic waste in customers’ homes. Find out more about the reusable beeswax food wraps, the reusable makeup remover pads, the reusable sponges and the reusable cleaning wipes. Stay tuned for more reusable products being released soon to help you reduce your environmental impact.
Plastic free packaging
It’s lovely to receive some beautifully packaged happy post but not if it’s full of nasty plastic. All the packaging at Drawn by Rhiannon, as well as the gift wrap options, are completely plastic free. Orders are either wrapped in blue polka dot paper bags or blue tissue paper depending on size. Items are then packaged in cardboard mailing boxes, sealed with paper tape. The paper bags and mailing boxes can be reused or put straight in home recycling bins. The tissue paper can be reused or put in a compost bin as it’s biodegradable.
It’s not just the postal packaging that’s zero plastic; all product packaging is also 100% plastic free. The reusable beeswax food wraps are packaged in recycled paper envelopes. The labels for these and the reusable cleaning wipes are printed on 100% recycled paper. The packaging for the reusable makeup pads and reusable sponges is also plastic free and fully recyclable at home.
If you have any questions or suggestions about Drawn by Rhiannon’s environmental policies please get in touch. You can use the contact page or social media.