Fornessi Chats to Rosie China (aka @rosiemeringue)
Business Baby
It seems like creativity is in your blood! Your mum set up muddy puddles when you were young. Have you learnt anything that you will use in your own business?
Growing up watching my parents run Muddy Puddles has always given me the desire to work for myself. I loved the freedom it created for them, but I also appreciated the sheer determination and hard work they put into it every day to make it so successful.
They taught me that it’s important to get the work life balance right as this is integral to your enjoyment and family. This is something I really want to focus on with my business, I love that fact I can be there all the time for Jasper, but also that I can build a successful brand.
I think what I'm trying to say is that for me to be as successful as they were I need to put my everything into my work and be passionate about what I do whilst cherishing my time with my family.
Inspiration behind the Fornessi A/W design? What is your process for creating new designs?
Autumn is one of my favourite seasons, I love the cool crisp air, changing colours and the crunch of leaves under my feet (and pushchair). This design was inspired by my love of collecting leaves as a child from the woods and making prints with them. The textures and patterns that they created were truly mesmerising. Observations and memories like these are what inform my process, I'm always aware of my surroundings taking in new ideas for any future work.
These organic patterns from my childhood are then simplified to give a contemporary look. This process is started by creating a few simple sketches of patterns and shapes from within the leaves and then I expand on this and convert them into vectors on the computer.
My main worry when I had Jasper was that I wouldn't know what to do with him. Would I be able to stop him crying and comfort him, change his nappy correctly or ensure he was being fed enough?
Thankfully this wasn't completely justified as my maternal instincts kicked in and I've managed pretty ok I think. The only thing that didn't go to plan was thinking that Jasper wasn't getting enough milk from me and then finding out that actually he had a dairy intolerance which resulted in him being very uncomfortable so needing prescription formula. But he's now a happy little chap with oodles of energy so it’s all worked out in the end.
You have a really good eye for design. What are some of your favourite brands?
I have a love of Scandinavian design, the simplicity and sheer beauty is something I look for in everything I buy. Some of my favourite brands for the house are Hay, made.com and Tom Dixon. We have recently renovated our house ourselves and are always looking for beautiful new bits to fill it, it’s a slow process but it is coming together. I’m now desperate for the beautiful Norman Copenhagen Form Bar Stool to help finish it off.
I love anything by Studio Arhoj especially their wall hooks for jaspers room which are playful and practical. However, my favourite purchase for jasper has to be his beautiful Stokke Steps highchair. But a staple in our home among the designer bits is good old Ikea. You have to be selective with what you choose, but there are some real gems in there.
Everyone has their own way of doing things, trust your instinct, do what works for you and enjoy it.
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