Authentic City moves up the coast to our sunny cousin Sydney for our first feature in NSW, on designers, Polli, a jewellery studio bursting with creativity and a strong sense of social consciousness.
Employing an authentic ethos, Polli produce a range of beautiful pieces, from brooches to earrings to Christmas decorations, manufactured from recycled and sustainable materials. Some are interwoven with colourful, vivid cotton and others with hand stitched leather. Whether it be texturally or visually, there is an overall sense of ‘embracing the organic’.
I talked to designers, Tess Lloyd and Maja Rose about all things ‘Polli’ and what inspires and motivates them as designers.
Where do you seek inspiration for your pieces?
Polli draws inspiration from our environment, architecture and popular culture. As product designers we love objects, old and new, and often find inspiration in different things from bicycles to vintage cameras.
We are avid bushwalkers and enjoy spending time outdoors with our family – this is one reason we are passionate about protecting our environment. Our favorite spot to walk is the Jervis Bay area, on the south coast of New South Wales. We find the area inspiring, particularly the botanical gardens.
We are inspired by architecture and the man made environment we live in. Our studio is in a converted ginger beer factory. We have been influenced by the Art Deco architecture of the 1930s, and used the Empire State Building as inspiration for a scalloped design in our jewellery. Some of our favourite buildings in Sydney include the heritage terrace homes in Glebe, Newtown, and Paddington.
As a team, we’ve travelled to Amsterdam and we loved the quirky buildings, which inspired a range of jewellery and home accessories. Another area we’ve loved spending time in is Brooklyn, because of the beautiful brownstones and inviting stoops. Finally, we are inspired by the ornate details and use of pattern in Indian and Moorish architecture. (Polli also tell me that designer Tess loved travelling to India so much that she named her first daughter after the country!)
Your studio has many wonderful environmentally conscious initiatives in place – what is your best tip on how to maintain ‘socially responsible’ work environment?
Having a common sustainable team focus means there’s no effort in thinking green. We don’t have recycling signs or rules, our team all care and know to do the right thing. While we use recycled products and opt for greener shipping method our core tip is reducing waste; it helps to save money and the environment.
Can you tell me 3 special things about the ‘authentic design’ of Polli range?
The Polli range is a unique concept and each design is developed through our collaboration with lots of input from our creative and supportive team. It’s authentic in each step of the process: firstly, our design concepts are creatively original and based on our own hand sketches. Secondly, the process has been appropriated from industrial materials and methods and refined over the years with our Australian manufacturers. Finally, our products are all hand finished with love by our team in Sydney.
What are you working on next for Polli?
We are really excited to have a new sustainable wooden collection in the works. This new collection is a different chapter in the Polli design book and uses lots of fabulous colours and chunky pieces.
That said, we can’t wait to see it and anything else coming out of the inspiring Stanmore studio of Polli. Beautiful work!
Be sure to check out their full range at www.polli.com.au
