Zoe Murphy
Zoe is an enthusiastic recent graduate, who is optimistic about the potential of object re-use and uses good design to transform unwanted items of furniture and textiles.
Zoe employs her skills to print onto recycled interiors products using imagery inspired by her seaside home town. She uses the mix of urban and costal images from Margate such as faded Formica cafes, ‘Dreamland’ theme park, and a 1930′s cinema, in colourful and fun designs that encourage the idea of ‘Loving what belongs to us’ and promote pride in our belongings.
Her re-use of mid 19th Century furniture pieces such as Formica panels and Uniflex dressing tables reflects the nod to the 1950′s that her vibrant patterns and compositions embody. The range of textile prints that make up the fabric half of the collection are made from 100% recycled silks, most of which were once wedding dresses that have been carefully unpicked and printed over, utilising every scrap possible.
As well as having designed a range that is visually appealing, her work is also ethically strong and offers a more ecological alternative to the concerning fashion of ‘throw away’ designs of today. Her explorative use of print onto furniture is not something that is commonplace in design at the moment, and the methods that she employs as well as her consistent design ethos make her a promising young British talent.
