Good stories are accompanied by capturing visuals, so here is Chiara's adventure so far, narrated through photos. Where it all started: Chiara's garden in Brixton, London. Hence the name of the very first print: Brixton Flowers. Originally from Italy, but has lived in Portugal and Australia, and always found comfort in gardens and outdoor space. Her garden in Brixton provided a peaceful escape from a big, hectic city.
Chiara's flat in Brixton, London
She really wanted to see how this drawing would translate to a screen-print. At the time she couldn’t afford joining a studio, so she turned her flat into her very own printing space. She used the small dark basement to expose the screens, the kitchen bench as a printing table, and the backyard to rinse off the screens. It goes without saying that there were many difficulties encountered along the way. One big challenge was that the basement was too humid, which made it very difficult for the screens to dry. Light is the enemy of any photographic process, so it had to me minimised in every possible way. She cello-taped every curtain to the wall, and changed the light bulbs to the yellow ones which are photo-exposure friendly.
Brixton Flowers Screen print A3 Size
Once She'd figured out the challenges of her home studio, she experimented printing several times, keeping a logbook of each attempt. It was pretty frustrating not only for her, but also for her partner at the time who was by her side throughout the whole process. This is a photo of the first print of which she was finally satisfied with the result, a big moment - her home studio was finally working. She kept printing more designs all inspired by the plants surrounding me, without really knowing what she was going to do with all of these prints…
Selling her own art
With the encouragement of her friends and family, Chiara started selling her art at some markets in London. This was a great insight into what customers wanted. She realised how much people enjoyed the story behind each design. Various female customers suggested she should try to print my designs on fabric. Chiara took mental notes of everything, and put it into practise soon after. In December 2016 she decided to go to the Balinese jungle herself to try and print bigger and bolder.
She finally found her printers
This photo was taken on the day she found the factory with which she would start printing from there onwards. It was one of the happiest days of her life as it was so hard to find a factory in Bali which could print using such large screens and using only water-based inks. It was also important to find a factory that paid their staff well and behaved ethically as a business. It was a big change from her home studio!
First sample of Brixton Flowers
The first Brixton Flowers was printed on an A3 sized paper, which felt way too limited for her idea of creating an urban jungle. It needed to be big enough to wrap and capture people, as her intention was to recreate a jungle in people’s homes, by bringing the outdoors, indoors. This was the very first sample; screen-printed on high quality 100% linen and using only water based inks…She says it was a special moment holding this in her hands for the first time.
Good stories are accompanied by capturing visuals, so here is Chiara's adventure so far, narrated through photos. Where it all started: Chiara's garden in Brixton, London. Hence the name of the very first print: Brixton Flowers. Originally from Italy, but has lived in Portugal and Australia, and always found comfort in gardens and outdoor space. Her garden in Brixton provided a peaceful escape from a big, hectic city.
Chiara's flat in Brixton, London
She really wanted to see how this drawing would translate to a screen-print. At the time she couldn’t afford joining a studio, so she turned her flat into her very own printing space. She used the small dark basement to expose the screens, the kitchen bench as a printing table, and the backyard to rinse off the screens. It goes without saying that there were many difficulties encountered along the way. One big challenge was that the basement was too humid, which made it very difficult for the screens to dry. Light is the enemy of any photographic process, so it had to me minimised in every possible way. She cello-taped every curtain to the wall, and changed the light bulbs to the yellow ones which are photo-exposure friendly.
Brixton Flowers Screen print A3 Size
Once She'd figured out the challenges of her home studio, she experimented printing several times, keeping a logbook of each attempt. It was pretty frustrating not only for her, but also for her partner at the time who was by her side throughout the whole process. This is a photo of the first print of which she was finally satisfied with the result, a big moment - her home studio was finally working. She kept printing more designs all inspired by the plants surrounding me, without really knowing what she was going to do with all of these prints…
Selling her own art
With the encouragement of her friends and family, Chiara started selling her art at some markets in London. This was a great insight into what customers wanted. She realised how much people enjoyed the story behind each design. Various female customers suggested she should try to print my designs on fabric. Chiara took mental notes of everything, and put it into practise soon after. In December 2016 she decided to go to the Balinese jungle herself to try and print bigger and bolder.
She finally found her printers
This photo was taken on the day she found the factory with which she would start printing from there onwards. It was one of the happiest days of her life as it was so hard to find a factory in Bali which could print using such large screens and using only water-based inks. It was also important to find a factory that paid their staff well and behaved ethically as a business. It was a big change from her home studio!
First sample of Brixton Flowers
The first Brixton Flowers was printed on an A3 sized paper, which felt way too limited for her idea of creating an urban jungle. It needed to be big enough to wrap and capture people, as her intention was to recreate a jungle in people’s homes, by bringing the outdoors, indoors. This was the very first sample; screen-printed on high quality 100% linen and using only water based inks…She says it was a special moment holding this in her hands for the first time.
LONDON COLLECTION
All of our cushions covers are handmade with love
VIEW ALL
Testimonial
I am in love with my Fassinator scarf. It is so soft, the design and colors are just beautiful and it goes with anything - it can be dressed up or down. So incredibly versatile and now a staple in my wardrobe and luggage wherever I go. I can't wait to expand my Chiara Leto collection. Thank you thank you!!
Olivia Coléon
I bought a Swiss Cheese Silk Scar as a present for my mother. She totally loved it and wears it every time she goes out, both for a stroll to the market and for social events. The combination of colors and texture gives luminosity to whoever wears it.
Ilaria Massaccesi
I absolutely love my Brixton flowers silk scalf! It’s beautifully made and the silk is so lovely and soft. The colours are really vibrant and when I’m not wearing it I like to hang it on my wall- the illustration makes me happy. Thank you very much for being so clever, I love it and will keep it forever!
Megan Robinson
I absolutely adore my Swiss Cheese wall hanging. The detail and beauty of the piece bring the outside in and more. It has quickly become the main feature of our home - and nobody comes by without commenting on it. We also have the matching cushion, and it all brings such peaceful vibes to our home. It's clear that there is so much passion and dedication that goes into making these hand crafted pieces. Thank you for creating such beautiful things.
Katherine Newton
Use left/right arrows to navigate the slideshow or swipe left/right if using a mobile device
choosing a selection results in a full page refresh
