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Name: Anuk Harvey
Title: Designer/ Director
Company: Anuk Harvey
Tell us a bit about your background and how you came to design.
I am English born and bred, having relocated to Vancouver from London around 4 years ago. The move was for many reasons but mainly to try something else, to have a new adventure. It has been and still is, ‘a work in progress’ as I call it, but I’m very happy here.
My design background started as it does for many others, my childhood was filled with making, mostly clothes but it was never the tailoring side that held my interest, it was always the details. Having long lines of buttons on the cuffs or really interesting neck or waist lines. This fascination resulted in a 4 year BA Hons degree in textile design specializing in knitwear. I then worked as a knitwear designer for over a decade in the UK and Hong Kong and eventually started a label under my own name. I started adding leather details to the clothes and then creating whole leather neck pieces to compliment the collections. I’ve always loved leather, the malleability and longevity of the material: It’s similar to wood in that if its beautifully crafted it will last many a lifetime and only become more beautiful with age and wear. I became much more creatively interested in the leather accessories at a time when manufacturing knitwear was becoming harder and harder in the UK and so the label evolved. Today I design and make just women’s leather accessories.
What's your personal design philosophy?
It’s very much to do with ‘good’ design, and to me that means items that are primarily functional for the purpose they are designed for as well as having a beautiful aesthetic. I strongly believe in longevity over transient trends and utilizing craftsmanship and a respectful use of materials. A piece should give lasting pleasure to the beholder, being as interesting and compelling in the years to come as they are today while not appearing antiquated. This design philosophy also results in instilling a sense of care and specialness in our disposable society. An idea I feel passionate about.
Could you describe your process? How do you approach a new project?
After years of working to briefs or consistently producing twice yearly fashion collections I now do neither. I allow myself the luxury of starting a new project when it happens organically, and as a result I’m more creative and productive. A new project tends to start when I am inspired by something that creates a complete image in my mind. This could be anything from a skirt someone is wearing to an antique chair. Then the sketches happen, lots of sketches, then the editing and decision making. From then the process switches from designing to making.
Which materials do you use the most?
Thick 4mm vegetable tanned leather, and some vintage silver pieces.
What is it that you love about working with leather?
I love the malleability of leather, its a hard wearing but highly flexible material. I can create shapes and forms in leather that would be almost impossible in any other and it wears and ages beautifully.
What parts of your work do you do by hand?
All the patterns, either literally by hand with pencil and paper or using Adobe Illustrator. The edge polishing of the leather I do by hand and all the construction of fitting the pieces together and adding hardware.
What is your most cherished tool?
My hands to be honest, or anyone else’s. There is no tool or machine that could replace the work they do.
How does laser cutting play a role in your design process?
Laser cutting, due to its exact and precise nature, allows me to realize design concepts that would be impossible otherwise. Though, as with many processes, the mistakes or unintentional results that are created with a laser cutter can aid the design process and set me off in a new direction.
Which of your designs or projects are you most excited about right now and why?
The development of some bold interior pieces. I’m developing some carved animal skulls from the leather (skin) of the animal of that skull. It sounds macabre, but carved animal skulls are a North American tradition and quite beautiful.
Is there anything else you would like to share about your design process?
I love a good collaboration, it takes you out of yourself and the natural default grooves you can fall into.
Workspace; Sketch
Product; Product
Product; Product
Portrait; Inspiration
