About ANIMALESQUE

For the spirited, the curious and the wild, these animal treasures are lovingly-crafted to attract wonder, inspire transformation, and celebrate play. Handmade in England using re-purposed materials.

These original creations are the vision of artist and textile designer Sara Lowes. Exhibiting her playful style in illustration, screen-print and embroidery, each piece is testament to slow, conscientious design.

A BIT ABOUT ME

Hi! I’m Sara.

I studied Textile Design at the wonderful Falmouth University in Cornwall. After those blissful years of exploring new techniques and creativity by the sea, I moved to London where I worked as a freelance embroidery designer for couture fashion. It was through this work that I was lucky enough to travel, work and fall in love with India and the rich cultural heritage of textiles and traditional craft techniques there. The warmth extended to me in India, the friendships I made, and the expertise they shared, became my inspiration, hugely influencing my creative process and my own designs.

Meanwhile, back in London, I was gaining more experience in costume design, making garments and props for children’s theatre productions and multi-sensory environments. Animalesque grew quite organically as these two separate worlds began to meet and mingle in my head, hands and studio.

From its early days on a stall on Chatsworth Road Market, London, and touring the Summer festivals around the UK, I’m so happy to have come full circle and to be back in Falmouth where my creative journey began. My animals are available worldwide through my website shop, through a selection of beautiful boutique shops, and by appointment at my studio at Waterside House, Penryn.

As Animalesque grows, I’m very excited to be slowly building a small team of highly skilled makers here in the UK.

Ethos

Animalesque was Founded in 2012 by Sara, passionate about the story of fabric. Working from an archive of diverse textiles mindfully-sourced from her travels, reclaimed from theatre wardrobes, and surplus from the fashion trade, Sara lovingly produces her collectable works with a commitment to slow, conscientious design.

The significance of the materials is integral to the design process, and capture stories of cultural heritage, symbolism and collaboration. With the aim to reconnect people with the materials we wear and use, Sara skilfully weaves these stories into her timeless designs, making each piece a celebration of its own, made to last, to treasure, for good.

Striving to work as sustainably as possible is an ever-shifting challenge. In order to stay aligned with her values, Sara endeavours to use reclaimed materials, and to source organic fair-trade fabrics directly from the artisanal communities she works with. She designs in response to availability, keeping collections small and working outside the constraints and pressures of seasonal production, avoiding the waste, pollution, and drain on resources that too often accompany the textile and fast-fashion industries. The result: minimal environmental and social impact, and beautiful, limited-edition pieces rich with artistry and tradition, inviting you to become a part of their evolving story.

FABRICS

India

India produces some of the most beautiful fabrics in the world, and has become somewhere I visit often, to deepen my understanding of their production and origins. It might be a particular material that has enchanted me, or a piece of embroidery or print sample that I’ve been treasuring, which I set out to trace to its particular region.

Travelling with textiles as a focus has led me on some incredible journeys, where I have met generations of extraordinary artisanal communities and learnt of the depth of tradition in their production methods and the meticulous skill that goes into every inch of material, as well as the cultural, social and environmental decisions involved with their craft.

I’m still mesmerized by the detail, texture and colour that I encounter every time I visit. Many of the pieces I collected on my first travels - small pieces of block-printed cottons, delicate embroideries, vintage saris and sari trims, ikat silks and organic handloom cottons – have become emblems of my own designs.

Theatre and Fashion Surplus

My studio has become a treasure trove of collected and reclaimed textiles. In my efforts to reduce waste and minimise the environmental impact of my work, I have always endeavoured to use end-of-the-roll fabrics in my designs – hence the limited nature of the pieces.

The joy in giving a new lease of life to this material led me to wonder how else I could recontextualise surplus or discarded fabrics, incorporating their own history yet telling a new story. I have since had the privilege of collaborating with friends in costume, fashion and design around Europe, not least London’s world-renowned Royal Opera House costume department. Being a huge fan of ballet and dance, the opportunity to work with and re-imagine the richness of these beautiful pieces and the iconic performances in which they appeared has been a dream come true, and an endless source of inspiration.

Some other projects have included using surplus materials from the wonderful Little Creative Factory, and the joyful prints of Humphries and Begg, and I’m always keen to connect with designers of a similar outlook on sustainability and collaboration.