Featured Seller: scoutandcatalogue

scoutandcatalogue

Story by scoutandcatalogue

Published on Feb 11, 2011 in Shop

Photo by scoutandcatalogue

Tell us a bit about yourself.
My name is Breanna, and for the last year I have been designing and producing the accessories line Scout & Catalogue. Almost two years ago, after working for several years as a creative director, my boyfriend and I moved to Mexico to be closer to his family and (for me, at least) to experience a new culture. During my time there I began experimenting with dyeing fabrics and sewing bags and scarves that captured the bohemian lifestyle of my new surroundings. About six months ago we made the decision to return to Canada, and I now design and produce my line from my home and studio in the heart of the city. While I currently own multiple parkas and thick wool socks, my work is still heavily influenced by our time down south.

Apart from creating things, what do you do?
Drink excesses of strong black coffee, walk through all elements to the post office, window shop with deep-seated lust in my heart, share bottles of wine with friends and curl up with a good book or two. Before the snow really started blowing, my boyfriend and I loved to take long drives to the country, stopping at every thrift store we stumbled across. I also spend an embarrassing amount of time online, living vicariously through others.

fs_scoutandcatalog_1.jpg

What would be the title of your memoir? Why?
I feel like this question demands a crushingly clever response, which I absolutely do not have. I would hope that looking back at my life from a ripe old age, I could say that I was clear enough to know my own truth and that I was brave enough to live by it. That said, I would refuse to pen a memoir with the title, “Marching to the Beat of My Own Drummer,” but something with that gist would be nice. Maybe I’d hire a ghostwriter.

Where does your inspiration come from?
Inspiration is really hard to pin down, since it seems to be a combination of personal perspective, immediate surroundings, access to information and current cultural trends. Initially I was inspired by being in a totally new culture — everything was new and bright and smelled different; I couldn’t help but want to make something to communicate all the change that was happening within me and around me. Now that we are back in Canada, the Mexican bohemian inspiration is more muted and balanced by a calmer Canadian sensibility. It feels like a truer representation of who I really am.

What does handmade mean to you?
Handmade is all about community. So often we have no idea how our products come to us, and I really enjoy that when you buy handmade, you are able to fully engage with the person and idea behind the items you buy. I always know that when I purchase from a small business or Etsy seller that they are deeply appreciative of my contribution (as I am of my customers), and it makes me feel like I am supporting an economy that I believe in.

fs_scoutand_2.jpg

Who has been most influential in your craft?
I would have to say my parents. From a young age they recognized that I was interested in artistic pursuits and they always encouraged it. So many people that I went to art school with came from families that didn’t understand their chosen path, and I had two people that were nothing but supportive — it’s really made a big difference for me.

When did you know you were an artist/maker?
While I’ve never considered myself an artist, I have been interested in visual perspectives my whole life. My mother has many stories of how, at a very young age, I would bite my toast into shapes or comment on which socks matched which pants — it seems to be something that I’ve been focused on for years. The idea of being a ‘maker’ never crossed my mind until we were living in Mexico. I had been working in graphic design for many years and just assumed I would continue with that indefinitely. But when I started up Scout & Catalogue, I became exposed to handmade processes  and truly fell in love.

How would you describe your creative process?
My creative process starts out with big and muddled ideas and then, over lots of time, slowly whittles itself down into a tangible direction that could be considered a collection. I mentally design my next collection while I’m producing the existing one, so each season gets a few months of noodle time before I start testing prototypes. When I get into the experimentation phase, I have a pretty clear idea as to what I’m trying to accomplish but there is still plenty of room to roll with happy accidents or cut ideas that only worked on paper. After I’ve launched a season, I start to gauge customers’ reaction to it — invariably the items I love the most sell the least and vice versa, so it’s always a good idea to adjust the collection slightly after it’s launched.

fs_scoutand_3.jpg

If you could peek inside the studio of any artist, designer or craftsman (dead or alive), who would it be?
I’m less interested in a specific artist and find myself gravitating towards the practice of traditional crafts. I would love to see Japanese kimonos being dyed in the ancient technique of shibori, get a glimpse into the ateliers of Paris or be privy to Spanish saddle makers in action. I recently heard of a few people that spent two years apprenticing with an established Italian cobbler and I was so jealous. I love the idea of learning something from a completely traditional perspective and then using those skills to reinvent the now.

What handmade possession do you most cherish?
My dad is also in the creative field. He has been made me giant illustrated birthday cards — each one summing up the year I had just completed — since I was five. When I was a kid I hung each one on my bedroom wall and they never failed to impress: a giant dragon singing about the awesomeness of turning 8, Garfield launched in the air about to give me 11 birthday bumps, my own likeness dressed as Frida Kahlo for the year I left for Mexico. Hopefully I can start a similar tradition for my own future children — or just put the pressure on Grandpa!

How do you get out of your creative ruts?
My creative ruts always seem to come from overworking, which is really tempting when you are running a small business on your own. I have to constantly tell myself that it’s okay to shut the door of the studio and go do something completely unrelated to Scout & Catalogue. The longer I work in the creative field, the more certain I am that ‘working through it’ does not lead to great ideas. It’s a combination of life experiences and incubation time, mixed with some heavy trial and error. When I feel like I have no other creative ideas, I try to be gentle with myself and have faith that, with time, my next inspiration will arrive when I least expect it.

fs_scoutand_4.jpg

Where would you like to be in ten years?
I’d like to be living in my own little home with hardwood floors and a garden out back. I’d like to have a family and a strong business and to have the freedom to escape some of the Canadian winter for Mexico every year. I’d like to travel often and expose my children to the world at large, all while still having time for coffee and a good book. And I’d really like to get that Spanish language thing nailed.

Featured Seller Archive

Discuss: 393 comments

Seller's Items

393 comments

Sign in to add your own